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SHOWCASE
59
January14
eating it all, so I do it more for my son
and sometimes for my students at
school. Brownies and cakes are a good
incentive, I find.
Banana bread is another favourite – but
we can’t leave ripe bananas out at night,
otherwise fruit bats swoop in to steal
them. They’re very bold – flying all theway
through the living room into the kitchen!
Do you get much opportunity to
travel?
The university counselling aspect of my
job means I’m invited to visit various
campuses in the US and the UK, up to
several times a year; I’ve also been to
Hong Kong. The frequency depends on
the conferences and invitations that come
in; budgets have been hit in recent years,
but they seem to be picking up again.
Do your UWC students enjoy
English literature?
Yes,they love it.Ourkidsarevery interested
in reading, not just English literature but
world literature in general. And because
they tend to travel a lot, they’re already
innately interested in other cultures and
other perspectives on the world.
I teach mainly Grades 11 and 12. But
this year I’m also taking a class of Grade
10 students, who recently arrived here
or have joined us from other schools in
Singapore and are preparing for their IB
(International Baccalaureate) year.
What has kept you in Singapore
for so long, when you could have
moved on to other opportunities?
My answer is a very simple one: the
calibre of the students and the culture
of the school. Our students have open
minds, and a worldview that is very
sophisticated.
Whatever I ask of them, they rise
to the challenge, which makes them
extremely teachable and rewarding
pupils. They’re exceptional, and I
can’t imagine getting the same sort of
atmosphere, enthusiasm and motivation
in another high school. It would probably
have to be one of the top universities,
like Stanford.
There is so much about Singapore to
enjoy, and I make a point of reminding
myself about all the things that impressed
me so deeply when I first arrived. It’s too
easy to get caught up in the daily grind
and forget what wonderful opportunities
this place offers. In short, Singapore is
a great place to call home.