MattRogers

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and what were you doing before arriving at THINK Global School?

Hello! I’m originally from Portland, Oregon, USA, and got my film production and political science degrees at Chapman University in southern California in 2014. After studying abroad with Semester at Sea and graduating from university, I produced a few social issue documentaries in the US and abroad. I dabbled in a few media-related jobs in state government and health care and I taught music at a couple of high schools.

Immediately before joining TGS, I worked in Morocco for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I implemented several programs in life skills, music, project design, community analysis, and digital storytelling. I’m excited to bring the things I learned in multimedia, youth development, class instruction, and program administration to the cross-cultural environment of TGS.

2. What do you love most about teaching?

I love the moment when a student’s eyes light up in understanding, often accompanied by an exclamatory “oh!”. It shows that they have made the necessary connections among sometimes complex and diverse concepts in order to begin developing their own ideas.

3. What are your favorite aspects of your job?

I love being a part of the process. To me, this means finding the tasks at which I’m good and the responsibilities in which I can grow and be a resource for staff and students. This has so far included developing the digital portfolio part of the TGS program, assisting in the service-learning requirement, facilitating institutional memory maintenance, and much more.

4. If you could make one major change to global education, what would it be?

I strongly believe media and information literacy should be integrated into all subjects in academic environments. This is critical in an increasingly globalized world that is itself a product of the technology it creates. Because technology will never go away, media and information literacy are key in navigating the world around us.

5. What aspects of THINK Global School’s educational model do you find most appealing?

The advisory program appeals to me most, possibly because it is a relatively new concept for me. As advisors, we speak with each of our students at least once per week. Our conversations are holistic by design: we touch on intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and mental health. By having us as go-to staff members, students engage more with the social and academic community. We can keep tabs on individual workloads in conjunction with the other developmental areas of our students’ lives.

6. Which of our core values do you feel you most embody, and why?

Of all our core values, I feel I most embody 求知欲 Qiú Zhi Yù (thirst for knowledge). I’m always asking myself, “Why? How?” My curiosity is evident most notably in my documentary filmmaking background and in my attempts to understand and appreciate cultural norms, practices, and behaviors. I do my best to hold my strong opinions lightly, striving to remain open and attentive to others.

7. Tell us about your favorite teaching experience pre-TGS?

I spent the summer of 2016 teaching percussion to high school and university students in a drum and bugle corps. We spent the first part of the summer rehearsing daily for 12 hours, and then we embarked on a two-month-long national tour to compete against other groups. That summer was a master class in leadership of young people: I developed instructional strategies, planned rehearsal objectives, and managed conflict. It was a challenging, rewarding summer in which I saw enormous improvement among my group of 15 students in both their musicianship and their personal development.

8. What is your most memorable travel experience thus far?

Vacations are meant to make you feel safe and comfortable. Travel should push you out of your comfort zone. When I went to Mongolia in the fall of 2019, I pushed myself further out of my comfort zone than ever before, and that’s saying something – my comfort zone is unusually expansive. In a five-day experience with nomads in Terelj National Park, I rode oxcarts, horses, and motorcycles from family to family, spending each night in a different ger (yurt), stuttering through the handbook full of Mongolian phrases in my pocket, and failing to be useful in farming and herding practices. Through it all, I got exactly what the community-based geotourism company promised: a no-frills, deep and authentic understanding of the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle. It was the most memorable travel experience particularly because it was so different from anything I had done before. Perhaps more importantly, I did a lot of reflection during those five days about what cross-cultural competence means and my place within it.

9. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Patagonia without question. I hate hiking, but it would be worth it. Also, Antarctica.