In pursuit of an ideal education

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Every one of us has at least one teacher in our life who inspired us. They saw our talents and abilities and compelled us to be the best versions of ourselves. For many working at Huili, teachers like these were the reason they chose careers in education. Ms Daisy Xie strives to be that kind of teacher for her pupils. 

Daisy is the Deputy Head of Primary. This is her 5th year at Huili School Shanghai as a founding member. 

During Daisy's journey at Huili School Shanghai, she got her start as Huili’s Head of Chinese and was promoted this year to Deputy Head of Primary. In that time, she has grown professionally as well as personally working side by side with a team of like-minded educators.

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Constantly creating something new

For Daisy, working at a young school has been both an opportunity and a challenge.

"We had a clear goal in the founding year: to provide a quality education that integrates the best of the East and West. A school’s most valuable asset is its pupils, so a quality education requires a deep understanding of each child. Our pupils come from different backgrounds. Each has their own story. So, to nurture their individuality and prepare them for success, we needed to go about teaching in a new way."

When we started developing our innovative curriculum, we started by asking two questions:

● What are the underlying trends and core goals considering the changing environment?

● What kind of support does a child need most to get them started on their lifelong learning journey?

This year, the Inquiry-based model aims to break down the boundaries of the disciplines and surpass the limitations of the traditional linear learning model. This empowers pupils to draw connections between subjects and their relevance in the real world. They, in turn, come to understand their role in the world and the impact that their actions have upon it.

Grade 4 Math-Number and Quantity  

For instance, a maths unit in which our grade 4 pupils learn to work with numbers greater than 10,000 presents an opportunity to learn about how numbers work in the real economy. In our thematic inquiry activity titled 'Introducing My Hometown,' pupils examine large quantities as they pertain to population, GDP or agricultural and industrial outputs. Such activities remove the veil of abstraction from numbers, reminding pupils that math and numbers are everywhere and have a real influence on our lives.    

▲New perspectives on cities in China

We are constantly updating and adapting our CCA offerings as well. This year, we introduced more targeted CCAs for Primary School pupils. Those who excel in Chinese and maths can now take part in advanced courses such as Chinese debate and financial literacy. Additionally, children entering grade 1 can now further enhance their fine motor skills in the CCA to lay strong foundations for later learning.

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Embracing change

"Change is hard work, but with it comes an opportunity to learn and grow,” says Daisy.

Education is a dynamic field constantly brimming with new ideas, trends, theories and practices. To keep pace with new developments, Huili teachers take part in a weekly Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme. It is also an opportunity for teachers to share ideas and collaborate on new solutions.

▲Teachers working on inquiry-based model

In our annual Wellington College China Festival of Education, teachers can learn from thought leaders in education from China and abroad. Our Institute of Learning, in cooperation with East China Normal University, has also conducted exchanges on co-teaching topics, bringing more learning opportunities for our staff. Daisy says,

“

Huili’s atmosphere impresses me because it encourages you to learn and grow. Because our teachers are from China and abroad, we learn a lot about each other’s culture and even more about our own.

”

▲The global perspective that staff gain has a positive downstream in their teaching

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Laying foundations for future

When Huili teachers plan their lessons, they think a lot about what tools their pupils need to thrive in the 21st century. Literacy, a capacity for critical thinking and a passion for learning are, of course, important. But they mean nothing if they are not guided by the five Huili Values of kindness, courage, integrity, respect and responsibility. Living these values, our pupils will be Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive well beyond their time at our school.  

▲Huili Learning Power Model

When asked why she chose Huili, Daisy answered: “Because we are a group of educators who share the same vision. We are committed to excellence no matter what it takes. Everything we do here at Huili, we try to make it count.”

Content courtesy of 

Ms Daisy and Ms Coco from Primary Math Dept.

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