Written by Roseline Yang (Community Relations Officer)
The school is constantly looking at ways to improve the learning experience of the children. A new role was created to provide PE for ECE students and support Mr. Lennart. Mr. Watson completed his student teaching at YCIS last year, and did such a great job that the school hired him full-time. Let’s meet David Watson.
Tell us a bit about you and why you chose to join YCIS full-time?
I’m from Newcastle in England, and I have been living in Shanghai for 4 years already. Hired as a Sports Coach with my Degree in Sports and Exercise Management, I was coaching from babies in the water to Master swim classes for adults as well as a large variety of sports. Last year in particular, in order to validate my PGCE Degree focused on PE, I did my teaching practice at YCIS, as well as coaching ASAs such as Swimming, Football and Gymnastic.
I chose to join YCIS full-time because I wanted to feel part of a school community and I was inspired by Lennart’s enthusiasm and passion in what he is doing. Moreover, every time I came to YCIS to teach, I always felt welcome as people were greeting me. It was warm and friendly. That is why I applied to teach here and I’m very happy the school accepted me.
What is your exact role and how come you are so popular at school among our children and parents?
I am a PE Teacher for ECE & Primary. I work closely with Teacher Lennart van Verklen to teach our PE curriculum and to help him coordinate some ASA sports and Y2 Ivy League (football).
About popularity (timid smile), I guess that being a specialist teacher gives the opportunity to work with more students. I’m teaching all ECE level classes as well as Primary level classes from Y1 to Y3. In total, I interact with about 350 children that I see once a week for PE class. It is about one third of the school, right? As for parents, I believe ECE parents were not used to a PE teacher and they may be happy to see their children enjoying PE class and developing their gross motor skills!
It makes sense! Now I understand why so many children were calling your name and giving you a high five as we were standing near the courtyard the other day.
Let’s go back to our interview. How have you settled in and how do you work with this new role as there never used to be PE teacher in ECE?
I have settled quite well in my role thanks to class teachers being very supportive, especially to help with the children’s name. In Primary classes, we place emphasis on encouraging participation, knowledge, health and well being. During the first six weeks, we focused on body management skills such as developing agility by jumping, running and also sportsmanship, communication, team spirit. We have now moved on to football. In ECE, co-teachers also used to do PE classes by themselves. What is different this year is that this subject is run by me, in a more systematic and coordinated way since I’m teaching all ECE year levels. For the moment, I have tried to follow the topics children are learning but also adapt the class according to the interest of the age-level. For example, with K2 children, we have learnt to move like animals such walking like a bear, crawling like a snake, walking like a penguin. With K3-K4 children, we tried to improve their listening with traffic light games as their topic was about cars and buses. I can see that they are more aware of their surrounding now and we can start with developing their body management such as going through tunnels.
That’s quite a lot to do! What are the main sports do you like most? And which one have you practiced or keep practicing?
I like all kind of sports: team sports as well as individual sports. In my childhood and teenage years, I was practicing Ice Skating and Swimming at a national competition level and I also love football that I can still practice now.
Here we are! You are so discreet. There was a real reason behind this popularity!