Jodie Zuccato teaches English Language and Literature at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). She’s heavily involved in the TEDx Youth program at WAB –a year-long after-school activity which offers students the opportunity to present a succinct 10-minute speech on a topic of their choosing. The program is student-led and organized and has been running at WAB for almost three years.
Zuccato has been in Beijing since July 2019 and this fall she will be leaving Beijing. Prior to her time here, she lived and taught in Cairo, Egypt, and at Cambridge in the UK, but most of her teaching experience and her life as a journalist was on Vancouver Island in Canada. I spoke to her to learn more about her experience as an expat teacher in Beijing.
How long have you been involved with the TEDx student program?
I’ve been involved since 2020 in Beijing, but have been doing TED events for last 10 years. I got involved initially because it was a way to celebrate student voice, and I’ve always loved public speaking for students. When students write a speech, they think of the audience more than if they are writing an essay for their teacher. And if they think about the audience, they are thinking more about tone and mood, and how to move the audience to believe their idea. So essentially public speaking creates good writers. And as a writing coach, I see this as a wonderful way to help students get better at writing.
If you could travel back in time, what advice would you like to give to your high school self?
I would tell my high school self to get more involved with school activities. I didn’t really start doing this until University. There are so many skills you can learn in after-school activities. There are even some teachers that hate public speaking, and I admit at the start it took a lot of courage. But I have had students with speech impediments like lisps or who stutter who have done a TED talk or a speech and have said after that they were so proud they did it, and never thought they would be able to.
What has made a lasting impact on you during your time here?
I just love all my students. My students have made a lasting impact. And the people I work with.
What was the most challenging part of your experience here?
I wish I was able to stay longer and learn more Chinese. I can get around, but definitely, I’m still a beginner. I hope to continue to study Chinese after I leave Beijing. Most of my challenges involved not being able to communicate. And since I value communication so much, this was difficult at times. However, my sign language got better (joke).
What advice would you give to incoming expat families?
Be curious. But then again, that is my advice to everyone. The more curious you are, the more you grow. And I have grown so much through all the people I have met here. I’m moving to Hong Kong next year and hope to keep learning there too. I’m just a crazy curious person, and I guess that is why I was a journalist before becoming a teacher.
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