Introducing Ms. Hannah Shackleton
Meet Ms. Hannah Shackleton. She is our Elementary Art teacher and it is her first year at AIS. She is an experienced teacher originally from Colne in Northwest England. She previously taught in Nagoya, Japan, and the United Kingdom, and we are excited to have her as part of our community. Read to find out more about her!
What is your favorite thing about being at AIS?
The community! Upon starting at AIS, I was immediately welcomed by the friendly elementary faculty and students. I don’t think I could have asked for a more positive and supportive start of a new school year! Also, I really love getting to teach my favorite school subject to genuinely great students.
Teaching Art is a specialty of yours. Tell us more about that.
As a child, I always enjoyed constructing and tinkering with any materials I could lay my hands on. My favorite toys were scissors, tape, cardboard and my pocket knife. Before specializing in Art Education I studied 3D Design, Graphic Design and Fine Art. As an Art teacher, my intention is to teach artistic skills and processes to students but allow them the room to explore and experiment as artists and Art makers. Someday I’d love to return to school and undertake a course in Typography.
Who inspires you? Why?
Honestly my Mum and my Gran! They are fountains of knowledge and wisdom; the students often get stories about these two incredible women and how they fostered my creative spirit.
I’m also inspired by my colleagues and their methods of teaching students to become independent and caring people. I often pick up techniques from the other teachers for managing students.
As faculty members, we often talk about how proud we are of AIS students. Share one particular thing you’re proud of about our kids.
I love how they go for any art challenge with open minds. Most recently, I was very proud of their artwork that was exhibited at Art Land! I’m looking forward to creating work with them for our whole school art show!
You’re very active outside of AIS. Can you tell us more about what you are doing locally?
Hong Kong is fab for outdoor activities. My favorite weekend activity is to hike up a mountain, enjoy the view, and then relax on a beach afterward. Recently, I’ve also been enjoying bouldering; a technical climbing sport which involves solving a climbing ‘problem’ without the use of ropes or a harness.
I recently participated in an exhibition at Art Land. The exhibition displayed our elementary students’ exploration of Bapo, or ‘8 Brokens’, with their artwork around the concepts of ‘unity’ and making connections with the past. The artists shared their own personal memories and discussed how artists collect and use media to reflect and share memories. I was very proud of the hard work and dedication of their work and the Art of Bapo.
What are some passions you explore outside of your career?
I have a few hobbies to keep me busy outside of school; reading, hiking around Hong Kong, playing board games, and practicing yoga are just a few. I’m passionate about design and I’m currently reading about color theory.
I was an avid cook and baker when I lived in the UK but the small kitchens here make those activities a bit more challenging!
