Teacher's day special

Video by Lin Songtao

Editor’s note: Happy Teachers’ Day to all the educators who inspire, guide, and empower students every day! Your dedication and hard work truly make a difference in shaping the future. To celebrate this special occasion, here we present the takeaways of four expat teachers currently working in Shenzhen.

Principal impressed by Teachers’ Day celebrations

An educator for nearly 30 years, Steve Pellerine began his career as a headmaster at a Tanzanian international school in 1997.

Throughout his career, Pellerine has taught a range of subjects from ESL (English as a Second Language) to photography, research and integrated interdisciplinary studies. He is now the principal of RDF International School in Dapeng New Area, an all-English private middle and high school.

In Pellerine’s eyes, teachers are dedicated to their students, spending countless hours preparing and planning lessons and constantly thinking about how they can improve. Their work and efforts go far beyond the 50-minute class.

His teaching focuses on guiding students to become independent learners. “What we do is give them the tools, techniques, and time to explore skills and technologies and allow them to develop this into knowledge that becomes their own on a very personal level,” Pellerine said.

Pellerine praised China’s education system for its focus on building the basic knowledge in the STEM subjects, noting that students typically excel in logic, mathematics, and science.

He believes that Teachers’ Day is a wonderful celebration to honor all teachers. Having worked in eight different countries and regions, including Japan and the Middle East, Pellerine found that the Teachers’ Day is celebrated differently in those countries. He was particularly impressed by the Chinese celebration.

“I’m very impressed when Chinese students walk down the corridor with flowers and thoughtful notes written on cards and deliver them to teachers. It’s a very warm and special occasion,” said Pellerine.

Steve Pellerine

I like teaching in Shenzhen

I’m an English teacher of Daxin Primary School. Being a teacher in Shenzhen is a really rewarding experience and I would say that the job offers good work-and-life balance. I’m an ESL (English as a second language) specialist from Montreal, Canada.

It’s meaningful that I’ve progressed in my career development in China, working with kind colleagues and cute students who are keen to learn English with me.

Comparing teaching in Shenzhen with in Montreal, I would say that surprisingly, they’re structurally similar. It’s been easy to adapt to working and living in China, but teaching a large class with more students than in Canada can be a bit challenging.

Chinese students are curious. In the class, they have many questions about what I put on the board. They are motivated learners, and it feels good to teach them. I do a lot of activities with students in the class, and I think that my class is definitely a somewhat liberating period in the day for them.

Jaeda Khalilifar

Music teacher: Students’ every success matters 

The year 2024 marks Rachel Schlesinger’s ninth year as a music teacher.

A violinist for 22 years, she studied violin performance and music education at the University of Arizona in the U.S.

Motivated by childhood memories of teaching her younger siblings what she had learned in school, and inspired by her violin teacher, whom she describes as “the kindest, most caring, and hardest-working person” she has ever known, Schlesinger decided to pursue a career in teaching. She now teaches music to Grade 1 and Grade 2 students at Shekou International School (SIS) in Shenzhen and conducts three of the school’s string orchestras.

“The most rewarding aspect of teaching is seeing the learning process in action, including all of the students’ successes —whether big or small,” Schlesinger said.

In her first year directing the school’s string orchestra, Schlesinger met a student who struggled to communicate and concentrate in class. However, through playing the cello in the orchestra, the student gradually developed social skills and eventually became one of the top cellists in the group.

“I think I have had a positive impact on my students, and have tried my best to show them kindness, empathy, caring, and passion for learning,” Schlesinger said. “I also think that many students have become more motivated and engaged in learning because of the music classes and the orchestra programs.”

Rachel Schlesinger

German teacher rewarded by students’ growth

For Philip Ettrich, a German teacher at Shenzhen Foreign Language School (Group), teaching is not just a job, it is his true passion.

“I really enjoy seeing my students grow. I teach students from Junior One to Senior Three, and I witness their development firsthand. Sometimes, I see them off to study at universities in Germany or gain admission to top universities in China through their hard work, sweat, and tears. That’s a reward for me,” said Ettrich.

Ettrich studied Chinese at university and discovered his interest in teaching. He went on to earn several degrees in German education. In 2021, he moved to Shenzhen to take up a job as a German teacher at the school.

Being a teacher has many merits, he said. The job offers him more holidays than other careers so that he can balance work and life. He enjoys teaching; spending time with students helps him stay mentally young.

Ettrich said he is impressed by the diligence of Chinese students. “They work hard not only in school, but also outside of school. I know some students who take extra-curricular classes like dancing in their free time,” he said.

Ettrich believes that Shenzhen is a fantastic city for expatriate teachers.

“The city offers all the conveniences, including good food, plenty of leisure activities, parks, and an advanced public transportation system. There’s also a welcoming atmosphere. As the saying goes, once you come to Shenzhen, you’re a Shenzhener, no matter where you’re from. The schools here are modern and well-equipped, and some, including my school, are among the best in China,” said Ettrich.

Philip Ettrich