Support Staff Thriving in International Schools (Part 1)
You are a valuable member of the school. You have much to contribute. Henry knows it because he worked as a director of business administration for more than 17 years. He has worked with security guards, cleaners, technicians, drivers, office employees, cafeteria staff, etc. HR, finance, Admissions/Marketing, IT help Desk, Facilities Management, and Academic Administrators.
The well-known saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is particularly relevant to any school as everyone’s responsibility to provide a safe, supportive, and academically challenging learning environment for students. The non-teaching support team is an essential part of the school’s village. So, do not undersell or undervalue yourself.
We all are happy to secure a job in an international school. However, working in an international school is very different from being employed in a local enterprise, a local school, or even an MNC in China.
When foreign teachers come to China, they attend cross-cultural training to prepare themselves for their role here. If they have never lived in China, cross-cultural training aims to help them adjust to the new environment as seamlessly as possible. China is different from their home country.
Similarly, local support staff should attend culture training to prepare for their roles in an international school. International schools are different.
Foreign staff working in China often experience a culture shock, but for local staff working in an international school in China, facing the international school micro-culture shock is possibility. Here’s an analogy. Think of a diverse group of people inhabiting a cold oasis in a scorching desert. The international school environment feels like a place in an icy cold country, while the surrounding area is the general population in China in a scorching hot desert. The international school environment is a little world within a larger one, just like a microcosm in a thriving universe. It doesn’t mean that the cold country is a better place to reside than the scorching desert. He happens to live in a desert – Palm Springs, California. So, the desert is not a bad place to live. It is just that the culture in the cold oasis is drastically different from the culture in the desert. Here is another analogy – flourishing Chinese culture in a tribal village of Africa is a micro-culture. International schools are a microcosm that has their own micro-culture.
Local support staff members can face micro-cultural shock, which refers to the disorientation or discomfort felt by individuals when they encounter new or unfamiliar norms, values, beliefs, and customs within a smaller or more specific cultural group or setting. These cultural differences may be subtle but can have a significant impact on how individuals interact and communicate with each other. For example, a person who is used to a more indirect communication style may feel uncomfortable or confused when they encounter direct communication in a micro-culture that they are not familiar with. This can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts, highlighting the importance of being aware of and adapting to different cultural norms and practices.
Foreign teachers are generally more professionally and culturally prepared for their teaching roles in China. Unfortunately, local support staff are less culturally prepared for their roles in the international school. When you are not adequately equipped, fitting in becomes extremely difficult. One has their values and perception of what it means to perform well in their job, but the international school has its own values and job expectations that may differ. As a result, local support staff encounter this micro-culture shock.
What causes the micro-culture shock? Let’s start by identifying the uniqueness of the international school environment. The writer then explores how the uniqueness creates struggles for some local support staff. It is necessary then to formulate a strategy to overcome problems stemming from cultural polarity.
The Uniqueness of International Schools
The school is English-medium. English is both the administrative language and instructional language. If you are not proficient in English, you cannot meaningfully express yourself. You become tongue-tied or reserved in the presence of foreign colleagues. Unfortunately, the lack of articulation is sometimes misinterpreted as an absence of will to work, confidence, and aptitude.
International schools are internationally accredited and host a foreign educational curriculum. The international educational philosophy is alien to you. Most local staff are educated under the local curriculum, which comes with its traditional values, customs, and norms. The ways of doing things, thinking about issues, or responding to others are also different. These differences can forge a conflict within the school that limits effectiveness and efficiency. For example, a foreign colleague makes a request that you cannot fulfill. Instead, you stay silent about it, or you say “yes (没有问题)” because you don’t want to say “no” to your foreign coworker. International schools instruct their students to stand up for themselves, candidly denying the request and confidently explaining what changes must be made before turning it into a “yes.” You can imagine that the foreign teacher is expecting the job to be done while you do not intend to see it through.
Most foreign teachers received a western-oriented education. The foreign teachers and academic administrators come predominantly from western nations and are native English speakers. Western-oriented education generally advocates verbal articulation. On the contrary, Chinese is often described as an indirect language, where people use subtle hints and implications rather than directly speaking what they want to say.
The dominating culture in the international school is western – norms, values, and traditions. Local staff face insecurity since the environment around them is dominated by western culture. Many local support staff lack international exposure. They have also never worked in a cultural setting that is radically different from their overall culture.
The uniqueness of an international school birthed micro-culture. Therefore, the micro-culture of an international school is alien to them. As a result, fitting in can be extremely difficult.
If you are non-teaching support staff, the nature of your work is to support and serve the school community. To some extent, this intensifies the divide between locals and foreigners. It generates an inferior complex among the support staff because you play a supporting and serving role in the school. All these elements and insecurities fuse together to make local employees feel like they are lesser beings and not equal to their foreign colleagues. You assume the status of foreigners within your own country. The trick is to support and serve without feeling a sense of subservience.
In the beginning, the author said you are a valuable member of the school, and you have much to contribute. But, you may say, “I don’t feel it, and I don’t know if I make a difference?” How do you make that a reality?
Each of us (whether you are a local employee or foreign staff) has an identity. Your identity is who you are. Knowing one’s identity is important because it shapes how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Knowing and developing your identity helps build self-confidence and helps you better connect with other people. Identity is crucial for everyone. However, the more dealings you have with other colleagues, especially foreign staff, the more acute it is to know and develop your identity. For example, HR personnel usually have more interactions with other coworkers than a chef in the school cafeteria.
Our identity can be shaped by various factors. Over the decades, if not centuries, philosophers and psychologists have identified different components of a person’s identity. Being aware of these factors can help us better understand ourselves and our values, which in turn can guide our actions and relationships with others. Henry has picked 12 pieces to start out with. The list is by no means exhaustive; however, it will undoubtedly give you more confidence in your interactions and offer you subject matters to talk about. Once you have a clear picture of who you are (your identity), you become more confident. You know what you are bringing to the table.
Here are the 12-piece identity components.
#1 Life Experience
What experience did you have growing up? What are your happy memories? Did you have any traumatic moments? What happened to your first love? What was your first job, and what was it like?
#2 Language
Other than Chinese, do you speak any dialects?
#3 Culture
What are your regional foods, festivals, landscapes, climate, etc.?
#4 Nationality/Ethnicity
Are you Han Chinese? Are you a Shangdong person?
#5 Beliefs
What are your beliefs?
#6 Values
What values do you cling to? Kindness, self-respect, humility, resilience, honesty, accountability, etc.
#7 Personality
Are you an introvert or extrovert? Are you a thinker or feeler?
#8 Behaviors
DiSC profile assessment used by many Fortunes 500 companies. Successful people understand themselves and how their behavior affects others, their reactions to others, know how to maximize what they do well, have a positive attitude about themselves, and how to adapt their behavior.
We use this tool to find out your behavioral tendencies. In other words, given the same situation, you will naturally react the same way over and over and over again. You can also use it to predict the likely response someone will have in a given particular situation. Are you primarily D, I, S, or C? Are you competitive, a doer, persuasive, enthusiastic, patient, stabilizing, cautious, or analytical? If you don’t know, take the assessment and find out.
We may have different DiSC behavioral tendencies. We may proficiently speak a different language. We may embrace a different culture. We may come from a different division of a school. But, we are equal.
#9 Skills & Talent
Are you good with numbers? Are you a handyperson? Do you have good interpersonal skills?
#10 Familial Relationships & Support
Where are your children, parents, spouse, and siblings? Are you close to them?
#11 Recreational Interests
Are you into music, sports, or hobbies?
#12 Education
What subjects did you like? Who is your favorite teacher? What are your academic qualifications?
Overall, knowing one’s identity is essential for personal growth, building relationships, and navigating the complexities of cross-cultural differences in school.
Here are some ways to know and develop our identity:
Reflect on our experiences: Spend time thinking about our experiences and how they have influenced who we are today. What events, people or situations have shaped our beliefs and values?
Explore our cultural background: Learn about our cultural heritage and the traditions that have been passed down to us. This can help understand where we come from and values that are important to our community.
Examine our beliefs and values: Consider what we believe and value most in life. This may include our religious or spiritual beliefs, personal goals, and moral principles.
Embrace our uniqueness: Recognize that our identity is unique and special. Accept and celebrate our differences from others and be proud of our individuality.
Connect with others: Engage with people from different backgrounds and experiences. This can broaden our perspectives and help us understand and appreciate diversity.
There is more to you than “I am just a security guard,” “I am just a cleaner,” or “I am just an office staff.” Do not undersell yourself. Be confident. It does not mean to be proud but to take pride. Quit thinking that western cultures and people are superior. Neither is Chinese culture nor the Chinese people. We are just different.
After knowing your personal identity, develop it. Add experiences or stories to your identity.
