Kaye MacIver was considering changing job locations within the UK for the following academic year when she came across a job post for The British School of Beijing (BSB Shunyi campus). MacIver is an Australia native and had been in the UK for about six years. MacIver says she and her family felt ready for their next adventure and that China has always been on her bucket list of places to visit. The head of humanities teacher has now been in Beijing for less than a year and shares more about herself with beijingkids.
What’s was your favorite subject when you were a student?
History, geography, and English. I love to read and all three subjects tell the story of the world.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? What other career options did you explore before teaching?
I didn’t really know what I wanted to be when I was older. To support myself through university, I worked as a waitress and ended up managing restaurants. For a time I thought maybe I would work in hospitality. I enrolled in my graduate diploma of education after finishing my arts degree and fell in love with teaching. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
How would your students describe your teaching style? The Year 13s say that I’m "engaging and adaptive to their needs.’
What was your favorite book growing up? What are you currently reading? The Diary of Anne Frank. I’m currently reading Gone Girl.
How do you like to relax on the weekends?
Hanging out with my family and seeing the sites of Beijing.
Where do you like to go on holiday?
Somewhere new! We like to go to different places when we choose a holiday.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I secretly like the new Taylor Swift song… oops not so secret now.
What’s currently on your playlist?
I’m reliving my uni days and listening to a lot of 90s Brit Pop.
What’s do you find most rewarding about teaching?
Even though my timetable stays the same, my lessons never do. Working with young people means everyday is different. I love seeing young people develop and grow into young adults.
Photo: Courtesy of BSB Shunyi
