Chloe Whitehouse Encourages Her Students to Act Up!

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Over the next few weeks, we will be profiling several exceptional educators who will be remaining through the 2022-2023 school year. So, have no fear, parents. Your child will be in good educational hands next year!

Chloe Whitehouse is living a life very different life from the one she was born into.

The daughter of a trained nurse and a mechanical engineer for a coal mine, she spent the first part of her life in the small village of Doncaster, England where her entire family still lives no more than 5 min away from one another. Little Chloe was a natural teacher, always helping her friends learn dances and lines for class assemblies and plays. But it wasn’t until she was about to head off to university to study journalism that she found her true calling. She met with her school's headmaster and a request.

“I asked if I could perhaps deliver a performing arts course to the primary schools in our area and they were very keen, as it would advertise and benefit our secondary school.  Seeing the students enjoy something that I was passionate about, seeing them learn new life skills whilst singing, acting, and dancing, it was an amazing feeling.  I think from that moment I knew that teaching was my future.”

After several years of teaching in England, Whitehouse was ready for a new adventure and when she was offered the opportunity in 2018 to teach drama in Guangzhou she jumped at it.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to her close-knit family, she packed her bags and took up the challenges China offered. In 2020 she came to Beijing as the Drama Teacher For Dulwich College Beijing (DCB). She raves about her students.

“They have incredibly creative minds in China but sometimes, creativity and originality can be stifled. Students can copy and recite very well, but due to pressures on passing exams or a fear of failing, students don’t always take risks or think outside the box. Thankfully, education is developing, and especially in the arts, they are encouraged and praised for expressing themselves and experimenting, that's why I love it.”

Her students aren’t the only thing she loves about Beijing. When asked about the best part of expat life she said “Your friends become your family.  Everyone is far removed from their home network of family and friends and everyone who comes here is in the same boat. I really don’t think I have ever been surrounded by such an inspirational, caring, intelligent, and skilled set of people. My social circle is the best part of being here.”

But just like everyone else in the expat boat Whitehouse has missed countless major life events with the people she loves back in England. Weddings, funerals, births, and a thousand other family events that she won't be able to relive. With the possibility of another year without the possibility of traveling home for a visit, you have to ask. Why stay?

“Honestly, right now, I think it’s out of sheer stubbornness! …  I would be pretty annoyed with myself if I left China then everything opened up right after! Haha. But aside from that, I have an incredible job, and a great social circle, my fiancé Joel and I are happy and so are our furry boys (cats Kevin and Brian.) I guess right now, we aren’t broken so we don’t need to fix anything quite yet.”

To get to know this young energetic educator a little better we asked a few rapid-fire questions!

What do you order from meituan for Netflix and chill nights?

A lamb curry or pepperoni pizza! What do I watch? Anything easy and trashy!

Best gift a student ever gave you?

A random message of thanks. A student from six years previous messaged to say they had made it to theater school and thanked me!

The best thing about being a teacher?

The Eureka! moments when a kid just gets it!

The worst thing about being a teacher

Lazy students who have so much wasted potential. So frustrating!

What is always in your fridge?

Cheese and wine!

Favorite book?

Matilda by Roald Dahl

If you could have dinner with one historical figure, dead or alive who would it be?

Henry 8th the English Tudor King

What would you say to 18-year-old you?

Don’t chase boys. Let them chase you!

When things reopen you are likely to meet Chloe at one of Middle Kingdom Creatives shows or honing her improvisation skills with Beijing Improve. Make sure to say hello!

If you know of an exceptional educator who intends to stay through the next school year please let us know so we can include them in this profile series!

Images: Courtesy of Chloe Whitehouse

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