Join us in welcoming Johnathan Daniels, our new Primary Vice Principal for CIS’s English, French-English bilingual and Foundation programmes. A New Zealander, Johnathan has spent his teaching career in international schools across Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.

We recently interviewed Johnathan to learn more about his teaching background, his philosophy towards education, and what he hopes to contribute to the CIS community.

Welcome, Johnathan. It’s great to have you at CIS as our new Primary Vice Principal! Tell us a little more about yourself.

Sure - I’m excited to take on my new role as Primary Vice Principal at CIS. As of this year, I’ll have spent close to 19 years in education in both teaching and educational leadership roles. I graduated with a BA in Education from the University of Auckland and went back for my postgraduate degree in Education Leadership after 5 years of teaching. I bring in-depth experience working with the Australian, New Zealand, British and IB curriculums.

Outside of work, I have a deep love for the outdoors and enjoy being in nature and hiking with my family, outdoor education and connecting with my Māori heritage.

What inspired you to become an educator? What are you most looking forward to as the new CIS vice principal?

In many ways, my desire to teach started with my own teachers. I had a mathematics teacher in primary school who I found incredibly inspiring. His classes would always be the highlight of my day as he made learning fun and truly believed in our potential to excel. Likewise, I hope to nurture the same confidence and love for learning in our students at CIS.

The impact that teachers have is so important and powerful! A special moment I hold dear to my heart was when an old student of mine reached out to thank me for recognising her potential and encouraging her to become a student leader. She’s now working in politics in New Zealand.

How have previous experiences working with students shaped your approach to education?

I’ve taught mathematics and science to students ranging from grade 2 to grade 10. I believe that children learn best when they have the space to be themselves. Helping to create this space for my students has been the foundation of my philosophy towards education. While I love teaching and will always be a teacher at heart, I’ve also come to understand the importance of educational leadership in shaping curriculum and pedagogy. I look forward to bringing my own perspectives to the table, and organising further professional development opportunities for our teaching teams as better teaching will almost always result in better learning for our students.

What are your goals for the 2024-25 school year?

I look forward to getting to know the CIS community personally and building connections with students, staff and parents. As a Primary Vice Principal, I’m especially focused on connecting with every child in primary by being present and attentive. A large part of my first year at CIS will also involve collaborating with other Vice Principals and Principals to implement some of our new initiatives like OPAL.

Do you have any tips for parents to help their children settle into the new school year?

Sure. I’d encourage parents to get to know their child’s teacher. I strongly believe that parents and teachers work together as a team to educate young minds. A solid partnership between both parties will allow students to grow in environments that have their best interest at heart. Additionally, I believe it is important to keep lines of communication open between parent and child - ask questions about what your student enjoyed or found challenging during their day as a conversation starter for them to share more about their learning journey.