Welcome Letter

Hsinchu International School

August 30^th, 2011

Dear Parents,


My name is James Anderson and I would like to welcome your child to the second grade! This is my second year at Hsinchu International School and I have been teaching elementary school children for the past 6 years.  I am originally from America, born in Pennsylvania and raised just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  During high school I moved out west and attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where I received a Batcher of Science Degree in Forestry Resources.

After university, I went to Florence, Italy, to earn my TEFL degree (Teach English as a Foreign Language).  It was there that I found my passion for teaching. I taught in Cusco, Peru and then South Korea before moving to Taiwan where I completed a Master’s Degree in Education from Framingham State University and earned an Elementary Teaching Certificate from the College of New Jersey. This is my fourth year living in the wonderful country of Taiwan. When I am not working I enjoy traveling, reading, playing ultimate frisbee, gardening, and spending time with my wife.  

To me, the best thing about being in the classroom is the children. Their enthusiasm for learning makes every class fun and challenging for me.  A student-centered approach to teaching, emphasizing learning by experience, is something I truly believe in.  By organizing the classroom in such a way that removes the “spotlight” from myself, instead focusing on the students and giving them the opportunity to participate actively in our lessons, I believe their interest in the subject matter can be inspired and stimulated. 

In my classroom students are encouraged to voice their own opinions, questions, and make connections to their real lives, making lessons meaningful to them.  By turning both the schoolyard and local community into classrooms, I feel that the gap between both the school and real lives of the students can be bridged and strengthened, adding further value to the classroom learning environment.

Being respectful, responsible, and cooperative are the three “umbrella” rules that I implement in my classroom.  They are posted on a board and are clearly visible to all students.  I have found that these rules can be applied to any situation and are effective in further establishing the community atmosphere.

I will be using a blog to communicate with you throughout the year. Some things that will be on the blog will be weekly schedule, upcoming tests dates, spelling test words, pictures, educational websites, and more. The web address is http://mranderson2ndgradeclass.blogspot.com. Please go to this website and click the “follow me” button. I make a post every Friday so please be sure to check it out. I look forward to developing a strong partnership with you over the course of the school year, which I believe can only further enhance the learning possibilities for the children.  Please feel free to email me, call me, or stop in before or after the class to if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

James Anderson