Showcasing the Talents and Dedication of YCIS Staff

Our team of highly qualified teaching staff is the backbone of YCIS Shanghai’s global education. The countless International and Chinese educators who are passionate about teaching, dedicated to the goals of Yew Chung, and committed to preparing students for the multicultural society of the 21st century, act as equal partners in the classroom with our Co-Teaching system. 

We are happy to honour those who have reached their 10-year and 20-year mark with us as they join their colleagues who have educated or supported the school’s operations since 1994. 

We spoke to six faculty members across our five campuses in Shanghai and learned a few new things about them and YCIS as they approach 25 years of service with us. 

It has been more than 22 years since Chinese Co-Principal Ms Mary Yu joined YCIS Shanghai. She still remembers her earliest moments at YCIS Shanghai and tells us, 

"After graduating from university, I taught at a local secondary school in Shanghai. In 1999, YCIS Shanghai was established in Pudong and the following year I interviewed to become a Chinese teacher. The rest is history." 

She admits that it was the working environment and experience at YCIS Shanghai that made her "more empathetic and able to use a growth mindset in her daily life.” 

Mr Dusten Kent, YCIS Pudong Secondary Vice-Principal started at YCIS in 2005 as a Primary Co-teacher. He values the co-leadership model because it "promotes international understanding, respect for all, and a sense of support and care for our multilingual and diverse cultural learning community." 

Mr Kent added, "The co-leadership experience at YCIS has allowed me to develop a greater understanding and new perspectives on how we work together in this fabulous community and host country." 

YCIS Puxi Co-Vice-Principal, Mr Jim Wilcox, built on this sentiment and shared that, like many people, he "hadn’t taught or worked in a co-partner environment, but quickly saw how effective it is in many ways." 

Mr Wilcox continued, “Students have the benefit of the co-cultural experience throughout their days with co-teachers, and they also get lots of individual attention and exposure to both cultures. I loved working with my co-teacher in the classroom early on in my career at YCIS, and I now love working with a Co-Vice-Principal.” 

With an impressive 26 years at the school, Ms Susan Yue, YCIS Puxi Primary Co-Vice-Principal, is one of our longest-serving staff but was keen to point out that even she has "leaders and colleagues on-campus who have served at YCIS for longer” than her. 

Ms Yue told us that at the most recent parent-teacher interview, she joked to parents, saying, “I have taught your children at YCIS, and hope to teach your grandchildren in the future!”

Ms Melissa Shaw started at YCIS in 2005 in Pudong teaching our youngest K2 (age 2 – 3) learners. She is currently Co-Head of Primary and Professional Development Coordinator. Through her many years as an educator and in leadership positions, the most memorable time at school for her is working in the Bilingual Learning Communities. 

“Every day I have had the opportunity to watch students collaborate, communicate, and work with each other in various projects. They have taught me how important these 21st Century skills are as I see it in action and how these students grow into successful and motivated learners. It still blows me away!” 

Attracted by YCIS's prestige and teaching philosophy, Mr David Zhang joined YCIS Shanghai in 2004 and is currently the Secondary Creative Technology Assistant at the Gubei Campus in Puxi. In the past 18 years, in addition to the continuous accumulation of teaching experience, he has also learned a lot from his students.

“Each student has their own unique character, and the dedication and courage they show in learning from experiences they have never been exposed to is amazing." 

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This year, there are 102 YCIS staff who have been at YCIS Shanghai for more than a decade, with a combined 1,481 years of service! This length of service demonstrates an incredible commitment to our school and is something of which we are immensely proud. Having such invested staff provides a continuation of the storied history at YCIS Shanghai. This continuity benefits everyone from students and other staff to the whole school community.

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