Name: Chiara Gilpin
Nationality: Italian
How long have you been teaching? Since 2011.
How would you describe your teaching style? Definitely fun, creative and engaging. When learning a language children need to be inspired and teaching with enthusiasm is so important.
Why did you decide to become a teacher? Although I am Italian I believe I am Chinese at heart. Being Italian, I had to learn both English and Chinese. I wanted to share my love of languages with children as it’s so much easier to learn as a child.
Describe your best moment as a teacher. Watching children as young as three sing in Chinese and learn to write their names in Chinese. As well as seeing my older students be able to converse and debate using Chinese Language, when three months earlier they couldn’t speak it at all.
What would be your one sentence of advice to parents? They grow up so quickly, make every day special.
What would you say to someone wanting to enter the profession? Teaching is a wonderful profession, you get something back every day from the children you teach. You get to go home knowing you made a difference.
What would be your life quote? Treat others as you would wish to be treated.
A funny story from the classroom. With Chinese there has to be a loss in translation as many of our words sound very similar. For example mum and horse are often mixed up. So one day one of my students asked to be excused early as his horse was picking him up!
Best quote/question/expression from a child. “I want to be a Chinese Dragon!”
Chiara Gilpin is a Chinese Teacher at Nord Anglia International School Dubai.