In Conversation with…Annabel Shi, fundraiser and former fellow at Teach For China

Annabel Shi’s journey with Teach For China has come full circle: from attending the organisation’s galas as a young teen, to becoming a teaching fellow after graduation, and now serving on its events team. 

Her upbringing was split across two continents. She grew up and studied in Shanghai until she was thirteen years old, then moved to a UK boarding school for five years. Annabel admits to having some culture shock when she first moved to the UK: “It was a big adjustment because these are two different cultures, but I was lucky to have my older sister with me.” She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and events management at the University of Oxford Brookes. 

After graduating in 2022, Annabel returned to China and, following a rigorous application process, joined Teach For China’s two-year teaching programme: “Growing up I had known about Teach For China but I wanted to be on the frontline and apply the different teaching techniques and lessons I had learnt from my time in the British school system.”  

Annabel spent two years in Guangdong province, three hours from Hong Kong: “I chose the area because I wanted to learn Cantonese, but it turned out to be a completely different dialect! I was an English teacher in charge of 287 students from ages eight to twelve. I was in charge of the music lessons for students from years two through five. It was tiring but rewarding. The typical school day started at 7:30am and ended at 5pm. Each lesson was 40 minutes long with 10-minute breaks. The students’ lifestyles vary from those in the UK; there is little time in their schedules for extracurricular activities, children return home for lunch and in the evenings, they help their parents with chores and cooking.” 

Annabel however, used this as an opportunity to creatively introduce new activities and learning methods in her classroom: “I learnt in my teens that it’s okay to make mistakes. At university, I learnt how to ask questions and ask for help, which became my number one rule for my students. I wanted to be able to hear their voices and build their confidence to speak up.” The highlights were drama classes: “After a while, when I mentioned acting classes, kids would get excited and were fighting over roles.” She also created opportunities for play, occasionally led classes outdoors, and set up a reading corner.  

On the challenges of her role, Annabel notes:” The students taught me patience and the importance of listening, and to observe and understand how different teaching methods best impact students. I also developed my time management skills. There was a lot of homework to mark and a busy teaching schedule, so I had to plan out my days.”  

The resources of schools and teachers in rural China are limited compared to those of city schools: “The schools in the countryside need teachers which is why Teach For China places teaching fellows there; I was one the first three fellows at my school and we still wonder how the teachers managed their workloads before our arrival. Philanthropy is so important. It gives teachers access to the resources needed for effective teaching. Items like books and even Lego are incredibly beneficial to have in the classrooms to help students develop logical problem solving and critical thinking skills. Teach For China’s model is especially effective because it selects and places qualified and passionate young people in areas comparatively lacking teaching resources. ”  

Since 2018, the Huo Family Foundation has contributed over $5,500,000 to Teach For China’s general fund.