Jan (UK) became a teacher in England in 1984. In her now forty years of teaching experience, she’s taught different subjects to all types of students around the world.
She began serving in Logos Hope’s school in 2020 as an assistant teacher and is now the head teacher. To Jan, the most distinctive aspect of the floating school is its diversity. “We embrace it massively and wholeheartedly and have found that it enriches the children’s curriculum and their education.”
Children learn to interact with peers and adults from different cultures, often for the first time in their lives. In some cases, the children from all over the world come in with very little English-speaking skills. “Within weeks, they’re interacting with the children, they’ve picked up English, and they are learning well,” shares Jan.
Learning from one another
Among the staff, the diversity is also considered a benefit. “We’ve got the privilege of bringing in ideas, strategies, and pedagogy from all over the world,” Jan continues.
Hannah (Philippines) has been teaching in Logos Hope’s school for over one year. She says, “It’s so special to see so many teaching techniques from different countries. I get to work with teachers from the USA, Switzerland, the UK, Aruba, South Africa, Australia... everyone’s learning from each other.”
Other special opportunities offered to the Logos Hope school are the resources around the ship. With a surrounding crew representing over 60 nationalities, the potential to learn about the world never ends.
The sailing Logos Hope school moves from port to port all year round. This opens the door for children discover new landscapes, architecture, history, language, art and the people-culture of different communities around the world.
This creates a very unique learning experience for the children on board. “In England we might learn about the rainforest and look at video clips and photos,” said Jan. “But in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we could go visit one.”
ChunJi (South Korea) has two daughters who received their education on board. She says, “I really appreciate the Logos Hope school. I think it’s a wonderful idea to incorporate the unique aspects of [the ship] into children’s education.”
Beyond the onboard school
According to Jan, “The Logos Hope school isn’t just about teaching children, but about reaching out to others as we go around the world.”
Having such a unique staff and teaching environment inspired the school team to share their love of education with other teachers. In Dominica, for example, Logos Hope hosted a teacher training seminar. Thirty-five teachers from local schools were invited on board to engage with teachers from around the world.
“They were so responsive,” Jan shared. “They wanted all our notes and truly wanted to connect with us. Their first response was, ‘when can we do it again?’”
Teachers needed
Even with all of Jan’s previous experience, the Logos Hope school impacted her immensely. She would encourage everyone, “Come and experience this diversity – it broadens your horizons as a teacher and gives you new skills… I think if I went back to England, I would have a richness that I didn’t before.”
Logos Hope is currently looking for three to four new teachers who have a passion and desire for teaching in a cross cultural context. If you, like Jan and Hannah, are seeking opportunities to grow in your profession or work in this unique international environment, Logos Hope might be the place for you!
To find out more, visit Logos Hope: Primary School Teacher | OM.org
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