As the summer heat lingers in August, SUIS Qingpu is already buzzing with activity…
The new teachers at SUIS Qingpu are deeply focused on their screens. What exactly are they doing? Browsing the web, reading the news? No…neither. Under the guidance of our ICT team, they are delving into and experiencing the convenience and efficiency of a digital campus. In the current wave of information technology, modern educational technologies such as facial recognition and smart classrooms have become a normal part of our campus life. The new teachers are learning how to manage their classrooms more effectively, interact with students more conveniently, and integrate innovative elements into their teaching through these new technologies.
At the new teacher orientation, Dr. Adam Neufield, with his calm nature and warm smile, made every new teacher feel a sense of belonging and happiness. Through his sharing, the new teachers seemed to glimpse moments of their future at SUIS Qingpu, feeling the pride and honour of being part of this community. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation, their hearts filled with hopes and dreams for the future.
In education, a united and collaborative teaching team can generate tremendous cohesion and centripetal force, driving the educational mission forward together. Secretary of CPC Branch Cindy Zhang introduced the new teachers to the school community and the developmental history of SUIS Qingpu. She led the new staff through the school’s journey from its inception to its current status and growth, recounting a story full of both challenges and achievements. Cindy also elaborated on the generous benefits provided by the school, including the staff union, canteen, teacher dormitories, and talent apartments, all of which reflect the school’s thoughtful care and strong support for its staff. She detailed the school’s faculty training programmes, digital campus development, and Learning Resource Centre sharing initiatives, emphasizing the continuous efforts made to optimize the campus environment. These presentations allowed the new teachers to deeply feel SUIS Qingpu’s commitment to teacher professional development, laying a solid foundation for their careers.
The new teachers also eagerly participated in cross-campus experience exchanges, filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. They travelled to Xiehe Education Center to ‘learn from the best,’ engaging in intense brainstorming sessions and interactive exchanges through a series of roundtable forums and workshops. These activities not only provided a platform for intellectual exchange but also helped the new teachers gain a deeper understanding of Xiehe’s core educational philosophies and teaching essence. The diverse training formats and rich content made the new teachers feel the school’ s emphasis on and investment in teacher growth, as if telling them, “At Xiehe, your growth is our mission!” At the workshops, our very own teachers Steven Shi and Geoffery Shen also played host roles, actively empowering the new teachers.
Steven focused on STEM education within the integrated science and technology disciplines, particularly with an in-depth explanation of STEM+PBL (Project-Based Learning). He thoroughly introduced the core concepts of STEM education and its application in teaching, guiding the new teachers on how to effectively integrate project-based learning into the classroom to enhance students’ practical skills and innovative thinking. He also shared how to formulate scientific curriculum setups and schedules to ensure the systematic and coherent presentation of teaching content. His training covered the diversification of evaluation methods and how to provide effective feedback based on students’ actual performance, helping new teachers better implement STEM education and PBL models in their future teaching.
Geoffrey used his extensive teaching experience and unique insights, guiding the new teachers on how to conduct daily teaching in an effective and efficient manner. Starting from a series of simple experiments, he helped the new teachers understand how the brain works. Based on the characteristics of the brain, he led everyone to explore effective teaching methods and demonstrated how to specifically implement these methods in a class to enhance teaching efficiency and to allow both teachers and students to gain more fulfillment and satisfaction. Through his guidance, the new teachers felt a strong sense of support and encouragement, laying a solid foundation for their future teaching journey.
The campus, meticulously optimized over the summer, has been revitalized, exuding an orderly and welcoming atmosphere everywhere. As the new semester approaches, everything on campus is gearing up for the return of students.
The busy figures of our excellent veteran teachers can be seen throughout the campus, their every smile and nod bringing warmth and reassurance. Here, every teacher is an indispensable member of the SUIS Qingpu family. Together, they are creating an environment filled with love, care, and support, where every student can find space and opportunity to grow. Through their actions, they are embodying the true meaning of education and the true spirit of SUIS.
Being a part of SUIS Qingpu gives one a special kind of happiness, a deep sense of pride, and a profound feeling of responsibility. Because here, everyone is a member of this big family, and everyone is working towards the same goal—to make education better and to allow every child to thrive.