We sat down with Primary Learning Lead Kate Dekker Dunn, to discuss her upbringing, love of travel – and her passion for empowering lifelong reading and writing in the classroom.   

Ms Kate isn’t the type to indulge in her story like it’s anything more than a simple life – which I guess in a way, it was. Kate grew up in Rotorua, New Zealand, which is famous for its natural hot mud pools and huge forests. She had that typical ‘Kiwi’ outdoor lifestyle full of swimming in dams and open waters with her siblings. At school, she was a self-confessed ‘teacher’s pet’ – but also admits she could test the boundaries at times.

Ms Kate recalls an incredible Art History teacher who taught her during secondary schooling and guided her life choices somewhat. “He was so passionate about Art History that it made me really interested in classical art and I think that’s what drew me to travel to Europe and explore the galleries and museums.”

“The power of a passionate teacher has resonated with me because if you’re passionate about what you do, the children feel it and they learn from you a whole lot more.”

In practice, teaching is no easy gig, but it’s people like Ms Kate who make those often-challenging tasks look effortless. Her background in education has taken her from her hometown in New Zealand – to London, Singapore, and now Vietnam.

In London, Ms Kate had professional development with the Royal Opera House. The experience was offered to public school teachers and students and was aimed at making dance more accessible to students from all demographics, including those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Numerous studies show a significant number of theatre makers and performers hail from privileged backgrounds, resulting in a lack of representation of stories told on stage. From the experience, Ms Kate learned that dance can be used as a method of storytelling in all school literacy programmes. Ultimately, the social and cultural benefits for the students were profound; “We saw a huge change in the way students thought about dance – particularly the boys because they’d never seen boys dancing at a professional level, and it was quite inspiring for a lot of the students. And it wasn’t just classical dance, we also did some jazz and hip-hop. And we then got to do our final class performance at the Royal Opera House.”

Ms Kate’s educational learnings working in London were not an isolated cultural experience. The travel narrative is a theme that runs throughout her life. Before studying at the University of Otago, Ms Kate did a gap year in Italy which furthered her world views and perspectives on other cultures. Packing up family life in New Zealand and moving to Hoi An with her husband Sam and children Harper and Ria, was just a natural progression. Both her children attend HAIS and Mr Sam is the P.E teacher for Early Year’s and Primary – so it really is an authenticly shared experience. I asked Ms Kate about being a parent and a teacher at the school;

“It’s pretty rewarding seeing your own children happy day to day. It’s reassuring that you’re doing the right thing, not only as a parent but as a teacher – and to have children in an environment where they’re flourishing. It also makes me always question how we can be better as a school, what improvements can we make as we grow, and how we can enhance the experiences for all the children.”

Kate is a keen lover of literature and has a passion for teaching writing. At home, she’s currently reading Ernest Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ for roughly the 10^th time. It’s a short novella but so poignant and offers deep reflections on life – like how perseverance can help you overcome struggles.

Ms Kate also loves reading stories to the children in her class. Australian author Paul Jennings is a favourite. They are short stories full of humour and quirk, and easy to read to primary-aged students. They were also made into an award-winning TV series called ‘Round the Twist’ in the 90s and can still be streamed on Netflix today. It’s no surprise that Ms Kate has a soft spot for Paul Jennings’ writing and wit. She’s a glass-half-full kind of gal – nothing seems to bother her in the slightest. If there’s a quick change in a schedule or a scraped knee in the playground, Ms Kate handles it with grace, and – above all else – a rich sense of care and good humour.

Along with her approach to encouraging reading in the classroom, Ms Kate loves to witness her students improve their writing skills; “Writing is my favourite subject to teach. Literacy as a whole is such a rich experience. And throughout all primary school levels, the huge amount of growth you can see in a child’s writing is really powerful. I just love that stage where you get to the end of writing a piece and the children publish it and they’re so proud, and you can see that they’ve got that ownership that they can achieve.”

Ms Kate purposefully chose to study a Bachelor in Education specialising in Primary because this was her passion. I wanted to ask her for any snippets of advice or frequently recalled quotations that helped her do what she does so well and keep her moving forward as an educator.

Kate’s response: “So, one of my favourite people who we studied at university was Howard Gardner, who had this theory on multiple intelligences. He believes every child can be successful, they just have to find what their intelligences are, whether it’s music and drama, or whether it’s literacy or numbers. I think, even in the classroom, as a teacher, if you can work out what makes a child tick, and bring their passion through the subjects, it makes learning a lot more accessible to them.”

“But also, as a child, they have that sense of success a lot more often, so, it’s a lot more powerful to engage and encourage them at that young age.”

Outside of the classroom, Ms Kate is the same bright and zesty character – who is embracing life in Hoi An. She loves scootering through the rice paddies and seeing the buffalo, grabbing a coconut, and having a swim at the beach. Even now that it’s rainy season Kate says that the number one thing she loves is the peaceful environment, the vibrant food culture, and the friendly people of Hoi An.

As Earnest Hemingway wrote in ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ – “Now is not the time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with that there is.”

It’s a quote that is a testament to the way Ms Kate approaches both her own life, and her methods of teaching in the classroom. She cherishes keeping students focused on the present and how they can improve moving forward. Her avid passion for reading and writing is a privilege for our students at HAIS, and Ms Kate’s approach transmits perspectives and worldviews that impart a genuine love of learning.

Thank you Kate. We are fortunate to have your intelligence and insight at our school, and HAIS is a better, brighter, and kinder place for having you in it.