Teacher Tuesday – Mr Dougal Fletcher

Teacher Tuesday – Mr Dougal Fletcher

Following a short break over the holidays, Teacher Tuesday returns this week with Mr Dougal Fletcher, Year 6 Class Teacher and Head of Creative & Performing Arts for Primary

How many years have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for more years than I would like to remember. I started my career as a Secondary teacher, then moved to Primary and from there, started my international career.

When did you join KIS?
I joined KIS at the beginning of this academic year.

What attracted you to KIS?
For me, and my family, KIS ticked a lot of the boxes we were looking for in a school. It has a very family orientated feel to it and is not too big. The interviews that I had for the position just confirmed that we wanted to come here.

Term 1 recently finished, what was the highlight of your first term at KIS?
There were so many highlights of Term 1. The two biggest highlights were the โ€˜Living Museumโ€™ that our Year 6 students presented and, of course, the Christmas Production.

What is your favorite classroom resource and why?
My favourite classroom resource, and the one that I could not do without, is Ms. Ann, my Teaching Assistant. Her boundless positive energy, organisational skills, work ethic and sense of humour make the class a much more effective learning space.

You recently directed the Primary production, featuring every child from First Steps to Year 6, how do students benefit from being part of such an event?
Any production students are involved in helps in so many ways. Drama is perhaps one of the most important, yet most underrated of subjects. By standing on stage and performing, children develop self-confidence and they learn to work as a team. It also helps them to develop self-discipline and, above all, their communication skills.

How do you prepare your Year 6 students for their progression into Secondary School?
The whole year is spent preparing the children for their move to Secondary. We make sure that the students consistently develop their independent learning and organizational skills. Towards the end of the year we also have a very effective transition program to ease them into Secondary before they start there full time.

Tell us a little known fact about you:
Although I am an Australian citizen, I spent the first 3 weeks of my life in New Zealand.

If you werenโ€™t a teacher what job would you do and why?
If I wasnโ€™t a teacher I would love to be a performer, singing and acting on stage. I love the buzz and the adrenaline that comes from being on stage.

How was your first Kota Kinabalu Christmas?
My first KK Christmas was a very relaxed affair. We spent time with good friends and had the opportunity to explore a little more of the city we have come to call home.