Shu Chen - Our Team

May Chen was born and raised in Ningbo, Zhejiang, with its lush sceneries and rich cultural heritage framing her interest in Chinese language and literature. She was first awarded a Bachelor of Arts in English followed by a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language with Credit from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She then obtained a Professional Diploma in Teaching Putonghua with Merit from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is qualified professionally with a Certificate of Grade ONE Level B Putonghua Proficiency Test from the State Language Commission, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Education from the Open University of Hong Kong. May was also recently selected as one of the judges for the 2nd Chinese Language Festival.

May has over 15 years’ experience teaching Mandarin Chinese to foreign and local students in bilingual kindergartens to international primary schools. She was most recently at Discovery Mind Primary School, where she was the Mandarin Chinese Teacher and Coordinator for Grades 1 to 6. She combines imaginative specialist methodologies with project-based learning in the classroom to enhance interactive teaching and engagement. To May, learning is not about comparing oneself to others, but to be a better version of yourself; even the smallest improvement each day makes a difference, each 1% change adding up to a long-term positive development that will allow students to grow and surpass themselves.

May’s son is starting his university education, while her daughter is entering her final years of secondary school. Besides enjoying quality parent-child time, May enjoys reading, cooking, swimming and traveling.

Growing up in Vancouver, B.C., Jobie developed a love for its diverse culture and natural landscapes. She fed her passion for the visual arts, music, and technology through studying for her Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics and Visual Arts at the University of British Columbia. Vancouver made Jobie aware of the role of a bilingual environment in shaping speech perception and production as well as its important role in the city’s communication. This interest led Jobie to do research even as an undergraduate in UBC’s “Speech in Context Lab”.

With her strong academic background and desire to reconnect with her roots and heritage, Jobie returned to Hong Kong to pursue a career in early childhood education, beginning as a Shadow Support Facilitator and then Teaching Assistant in primary school. Later, by working alongside homeroom teachers and the Special Educational Needs department, she gained specialized one- on-one experience teaching students of diverse backgrounds and learning needs. As a visual learner 8 herself, Jobie uses methods such as writing in sand for students with sensory needs or working with manipulatives to convey learning concepts in an imaginative and engaging manner.

Jobie looks forward to applying her visual arts, music, technology, and teaching background in new ways to teach ECS, support subject learning, and work closely with students individually or in small groups. She believes in personalized nurturing to draw upon each child’s strengths and interests to help them reach their full potential, grow with a positive mindset, and become motivated lifelong learners.

When not in the classroom, Jobie enjoys exploring her creative interests, and can be often found journaling and drawing away to some good music.

Connie’s passion in language and literature leads her to various areas, from advertising to translation studies, and eventually to bilingual education. She has taught in private bilingual schools, ESF schools and other international schools in Hong Kong, with curriculum experiences over Chinese immersion, IB PYP Chinese and Chinese as a foreign language. Connie holds a MA in Translation from Hong Kong Baptist University and a MED from The University of Hong Kong. She also finishes her PGDE from Education University of Hong Kong, where she is trained in special needs education with a focus on supporting students with challenges in Chinese reading and writing. She is experienced in one-on-one and small group learning support, as well as classroom lead teaching for all Primary grade levels.

With a firm belief that students’ well-being is the foundation of education, Connie is dedicated to research and design engaging Chinese lessons with appropriate differentiation strategies. She has also applied her training from art and music therapy to help channeling students’ emotions, and actively integrated multi-sensory and multimedia tools in her classes to motivate learning. In her spare time, Connie enjoys books and movies, hiking and cycling. She is looking forward to taking her students to the bigger classroom outside — parks and trails, art venues and local communities — to experience and explore the beauty and creativity shaped by languages and culture.