老師們 Our teachers

Susan is the owner/operator of the school that bears her name, the very successful Susan English School in Beitou.
Her school has been open and largely popular for more than a decade. While a lot of bushiban/cram schools in the country are closing down due to a downturn in the economy, Susan’s English School is thriving.
Let’s have a chat with Susan and find out a little bit about her, her teaching philosophies and how she expects and maintains excellence in her students.

聞名於北投的蘇珊美語學校即是以其創校者及老闆蘇珊命名。蘇珊美語自創校至今逾十年期間廣受歡迎。雖然台灣許多補習班因經濟蕭條而紛紛關門大吉，但蘇珊美語卻仍蓬勃發展。現在就讓我們一同來認識蘇珊，並與她細細聊起她的教學理念、她對學子們的冀望及如何讓孩子ㄧ直都這麼優秀。

 Susan, tell the readers a little bit about you. Why did you decide to open a bushiban and how long have you been open?
* Well, I graduated from Fujen University with a degree in Mass Communications. I went on to study at Duke University in the United States in the English department. Six years later I returned to Taiwan and worked at Cave’s Book Store as the manger of the publishing department for three years. I opened my school in Beitou in 1998 in order to put my new skills and goals to use and of course to help students of all ages to learn and improve their English skills.

蘇珊，請妳介紹ㄧ下自己吧。是什麼促使妳決定開一間補習班？學校開了多久了呢？

*我畢業於輔仁大學大眾傳播系，之後前往美國的杜克大學攻讀英文所。六年後，我回到了台灣並在敦煌書局的出版部擔任經理達三年。1998年，我在北投創立了蘇珊美語，為的是讓自己所習學以致用，當然，幫助各年齡層的學生學習及增進英文能力也是我創校的目的。

What are your teaching philosophies and how do you implement them in the classroom?
*It is important to have a strong focus on the basic skills in the classroom, reading, writing, listening and of course speaking, with a strong focus on proper pronunciation. Another very important aspect of ESL is that the students enjoy themselves. Children need to be challenges, but in a fun and effective environment. This is the responsibility of the teachers, which is why I hire those teachers who have those skills that I am looking for. I am looking for a good balance in the classroom.

妳的教學理念為何？妳又是如何應用在課堂呢？

＊著重於課堂上的四種基本語言能力－聽、說、讀、寫，是極為重要的。在說的方面，發音標準與否亦是強調的重點。另一個學英語的要項便是學生能樂於其中。孩童是需要給予刺激及挑戰的，但前提是在一個有趣及有效的環境裡，而提供如此環境是老師的責任，這也是我雇用老師的標準：他們是否有我所要求的技能？我要的是教室中的平衡。

Which leads me to my next question, what qualities do you look for in your teachers?
*Of course, it is important that my teachers are out-going and like children. They must care about passing on a quality education and ensure our students progress in their learning. They must have a good working attitude, be positive but also show that they are serious about the job.

妳的回答讓我想到下一個問題，那就是妳希望妳的老師具備哪些特質？

＊無庸置疑地，老師們必須要外向還得喜歡孩童。他們一定要能將優良品質的教育傳承下去，並確保我們的學生持續進步。他們也須有良好的工作態度，是積極正面的，認真看待此工作。

You seem to have such a good relationship with your students, how do they come to respect you so well?
*Maybe because first and foremost, I respect them and I care about their education and well-being, and I think it shows. My teachers and I challenge the students to be responsible for themselves and their work. This encourages them to take their studies seriously. I also try to develop a good relationship with the parents. In this way, I can share my ideas and philosophies about their children with them.

妳和妳的學生們的關係看似非常好，他們同時又如何尊敬妳呢？

＊也許是因為一個很重要的原因，我尊重他們，也關心他們的教育及教養，他們感覺得到的。我和我的老師團隊要求學生為他們自己及所學負責，這也鼓勵他們看重英語學習。我也與家長們培養良好關係，如此一來，我便能將我對孩子們的教學理念與他們取得共識。

Why should parents send their children to your school, and not a different cram school? How does your school differ from other schools? What sets it apart?
*We are not just in this business to make money; we are here to pass on a quality education. The most important asset of any business is its employees, which is why I fill my school with great teachers. We have the best teachers and the best support team that encourages all of our students to improve themselves. It is also important to have good communication with the parents. This will allow them to know everything that is happening in their child’s time spent at Susan’s English School. We have a good reputation in the community and we want it to remain that way!

為什麼家長們應該送他們的孩子來妳的學校，而非其他補習班呢？蘇珊美語與他校有何不同？又是什麼讓蘇珊美語有別於同業？

＊我們不是為了謀利，而是為了傳承優良教育。各行各業最重要的資產就是其員工，這也是我的學校有這些出色老師的原因，我們有最優秀的老師及最棒的支援團隊鼓勵學生不斷精進。與家長們保持良好溝通也是很重要的，這樣他們才清楚知道孩子在蘇珊的一切，我們在此業及該社區有絕佳聲譽，我們也將持之以恆繼續努力。