Juan Carlos Cairos (he/him)

PYP Homeroom Teacher Grade 2

European International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

How did you get into teaching?

I knew I wanted to teach since I was young. I was always talking with people, telling stories and wanting to help out. My mom, Montse,  is an elementary teacher in the Canary Islands, Spain, where I grew up. I remember helping her mark students’ tests. However, school wasn’t an easy or safe place for me as a student. I had a severe stutter until I was in high school and struggled with Attention Deficit. These conditions really informed my personal and social development. At home, I was accepted and loved for who I was. At home, I was “playful and active” and had loads of stimulating conversations and outdoor time.” At school, however, I didn’t feel like I met my teachers’ expectations. I was called “disruptive and an attention seeker” instead. I went into teaching to become the teacher I needed as a boy with special needs. 

Who was the teacher who made the most positive impact on your life?

My teachers were kind enough, but no one spoke to me as an equal. My school experiences felt more transactional and formal. We didn’t dig into the “why” behind what we were doing very often, which is something I really needed to understand to stay motivated.

It wasn’t until I was 20 years old that I found that teacher for me. His name is Gerben De Vries  and I’ll never forget him saying to me one day: “You can achieve whatever you want. You speak both Spanish and English, Juan Carlos. You work hard and the sky's the limit.” No one had ever said something like that to me and it really built up my confidence. Just over a year later,  I found myself living and working in Hong Kong! 

What is a professional inquiry you are currently pursuing?

I suppose right now one of my big inquiries is: How can we grow play-based learning? This really stems from my deep belief in and comfort with inquiry. I initially worked at a school with a very rigid curriculum that I found hard to follow. My guilt became pride when I was introduced to inquiry, and I realized that I could thrive as an educator in such an environment. A few months later, I moved to an IB school in the Czech Republic. The IB’s framework helps me stay on track and allows my students some room to explore their own curiosities. I’ve been learning from play-based leaders like Lynn Cuccaro and Anne van Dam. I am now involved in running events and designing courses with different educators from our Teashares’ network, such as  Ciara Fitzpatrick, David Minnock, Elaine Reimann and Aga Chojnacka.

What is a personal inquiry you are currently pursuing?

This is hard to answer because my personal and professional worlds are so intertwined! I am always thinking about this question: How do we transfer ideas to teachers in a way that is empowering, not draining?

I spend most of my time trying to transfer what I learn about progressive education  to communities that cannot access this information as easily, through Teashares. Impacting local communities is so important to me and to the mission of IB. We do this by collaborating with NGOs, as well as recording 10-minute provocations and then giving people time and space to have conversations about it. These leave teachers feeling empowered because their voices are heard and they can make connections with real people - thousands of teachers from 54 countries so far. I am grateful to inspiring thought leaders like Chad Hyatt, Kirsten Durward or Julia Torres, who facilitate conversations and challenge our thinking.

What three best ideas do you have to improve the teaching profession?

1) Provide relevant teacher training 

We really need to start with this new generation of teachers, many who have themselves been through the current education system and haven’t enjoyed it. They still remember you can be the ones to do it differently. The world has changed and university professors are often out of touch with the changes. How can we involve current teachers in teacher training and build out that practicum component (theory into practice) better? For me, it was colleagues like Jay Hinkley who offered me such great advice about breaking things down into bite-sized pieces. He reminded me that you don’t need to be perfect with everything right away. I really appreciated this.

2) Redefine play

Play is a catalyst for learning. The ‘life skills’ we hope to build with students are developed through play. Play tends to be a loaded term for many people - some feel it’s “anarchy” and has nothing to do with learning, though we know from research that this is absolutely not true. How do we leverage play to spark curiosity and honor intrinsic motivation? Maybe we need to find another word? Whatever we do, we need to understand the academic importance of play to see and think in a different way.  

3) Consider NGOs as models for change

As teachers, we already have so much in common with non-profit organizations’  leaders. We want to make a difference in the world. There is a constant “start-up” mindset in NGOs as beliefs, behaviors and humans are involved! How can we take a page from their work in going beyond advocating for superficial changes like donating money to doing something significant with community rather than for community? There is a great book called What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobi Yamada that has really inspired me and my students to take action. This is what compelled me to build community with other teachers via Teashares. Some of my students started an animal rescue initiative in Ho Chi Minh City and they are still meeting at recess to talk about their work! If anyone reading this feels…oh, I’d like to get involved!… just reach out to me at juancarlos@teashares.com!

You gotta see this! (what’s something inspiring you’d like to share with others?)

The Social Water is a young non-profit that is inspiring, exciting and new. You can really feel the energy in their work (and this is the kind of ‘can do,’ fresh-thinking energy that I think we can and should infuse in our schools)!