Below, you will find excerpts from reference letters written by administrators, other professionals as well as former students during Mr. Colvin’s career.
Clicking on the name of an administrator of an excerpt will open the associated reference letter which will then be available for download.
“It has been a delight working with such an energetic individual. Mr. Colvin is a committed educator, who
has provided significant and positive contributions to our school.”
“In my interactions with Mr. Colvin, I have observed that he displays open-mindedness, vision, and perspective in interactions with others and provides a welcoming environment for professional inquiry, discussion, and visitation.”
“Mr. Colvin combines his knowledge of English, his creative and critical thinking skills, his knowledge of ESL, his love of researching for current and relevant materials, his desire to imbed in his students a love of deep questioning and profound learning, and his sense of humour to provide a warm and caring relationship where students strive to do their best.”
In his role as a teacher, Steve is masterful. He has vast content knowledge, plans thoroughly, and differentiates for all student levels. He builds meaningful relationships with his students that show in how hard they are willing to work in his classes. He creates engaging lessons and stimulating assessments that are well scaffolded to support the development of English skills. Steve sets high expectations of his students and provides them with the tools and skills to meet those expectations.
He engages actively in all professional development opportunities at our school and is continually, independently researching and applying best practices in teaching English. Steve is a staff member whose opinion I highly value. I look to him to ask great questions when we are discussing new policies or procedures to improve our school - he is able to help anticipate and avoid potential problems and facilitate a smoother implementation.
Regularly at staff meetings, there is a Chenggong Award announcement recognizing a staff member who has performed in an exemplary way.
In October, 2023, Mr. Thomas Jacques gave a short, introductory speech before presenting the award to me.
I find the recognition of peers to be the strongest testimonial particularly when it is unexpected. I was, however, uncertain about how I felt being called the “Dumbledore” of the school.
I have worked and observed Steve Colvin over the past years. At MLIS-D, he is professional as a
teacher, confident, self-reflected and reliable. Basing on my experience and knowledge, I believe
that Steve will be a valuable asset to any school and staff.
“I have worked with Steve for 1 year, and I have never been more impressed by a teacher’s enthusiasm and passion for the craft of teaching. He frequently put in long hours to develop lesson plans and monitor student progress. Steve is always on point when it comes to helping all students, and always there to have tutorials for those students who need his support. … As a high school English teacher, Steve has consistenly demonstrated a strong passion for teaching and a dedication to fostering a positie learning environment for students.”
Steve is a masterful teacher with deep content knowledge and a passion for his subject area. He plans thoroughly to meet the needs of all his students while holding them all to high standards and expecting them to give their best.
Steve is a staff member whose opinion I highly value. I look to him to ask great questions when we are discussing new policies or procedures to improve our school…
Below, you will find excerpts from emails and WeChat messages written by students who have been students in classes with Mr. Colvin.
Comments are verbatim without changes to language, grammar, or content.
“My personal perspective is (no mean to offend other teachers), Mr.Colvin is one of the few teachers in Dalian Maple Leaf who makes me feel like I can truly learn something in class.
Before taking this class, based on what I heard about the reputation of Mr. Colvin, I was really worried about failing the course. But once we started learning in class, I found that everything was pretty good, like Mr. C was really patient to us and was not mad at any of us, like Mr. C always told us some jokes and funny stuffs. Mr. C is really a fun and erudite teacher, and I do feel it's my pleasure to study in Mr. C's ENG 12 class.”
I would say that Mr. Colvin's lessons were surprises for me. I used to be deterred by rumors saying that these lessons are extremely difficult and harsh. When I had my first English 12 lesson, I found out the truth that each lesson can be filled with such (dark) humor and interesting knowledge. During the semester, I learned about not only reading and writing, but also essential skills and life lessons that will help me in the university. I finished the course a high grade and a grateful heart. I feel lucky to study English 12 with Mr. Colvin.
“The most impressive part to me is the poetry session. I am not a native English speaker who knows nothing about old English poetry, Shakespeare, or the Bible. It was a nightmare for me to learn poetry and investigate the writer’s tone. But Mr.C encouraged us to write our own stories in poetry. I have to say that provided me with the motivation to read more and put more effort into this. Before that, I did give up the poetry reading part in the exam. It was the first time for me to express my feelings in English. I know the outcome, my poetry is not so good, but I appreciated your praise in class.”
Further letters of reference are available upon request.
Please feel free to contact me through this email address for further info or if you have any questions.
- Steve
The quickest way to contact me is through email by clicking:
Let me know if there is any more information that you might like.
- Steve