By Feon Chau
I am an international educator currently based in Taiwan, but I’ve had many roles in the education space throughout the years—from an examiner to the chair of a local teacher network. It was during my time as a program coordinator that I learned an important lesson that has stuck with me ever since: school values don’t collapse in one dramatic moment, but rather erode one decision at a time.
In that role I watched subtle, well-intentioned choices slowly normalize inconsistency, and saw the impact this had on the students who were watching. They quickly learned whether or not adults would hold the line when it was inconvenient, and whether voice and values were treated as liabilities or lifelines.
Feon Chau is a writer and international educator based in Taiwan. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she now lives in Taichung with her family. She writes about how small decisions shape real lives inside classrooms, meeting rooms, and living rooms.
