Convergence of Youth Power: Competition-Driven Research Innovation The The Second “Qinghe Cup” Teaching Evaluation Event in SUIS Qingpu’s Primary School

In the aromatic April air, filled with the lively spirit of spring, educators gathered to work together, enhancing their growth through research and reflection. The second “Qinghe Cup” teaching evaluation event for our school’s Primary School officially commenced. This initiative aims to create a classroom environment centred on students and to inspire teachers’ innovative teaching ideas. It included the subjects of English, Mathematics, and Chinese. By using the competition as a platform and fostering discussion, we explored various classroom models focused on the concept of learning.

Promoting Teaching through Competition, and Inspiring Learning through Teaching

During the activity, teachers thoroughly studied the principles of the new curriculum standards, grounding themselves in the essence of the subjects and addressing the learning needs of the students. They skilfully integrated concepts such as “real-life situations,” “independent learning,” “collaborative learning,” and “task-driven” approaches into their teaching designs, transforming the classroom into a journey of exploration where students could engage in intellectual exchanges and enhance their literacy skills.

Nourishing with Language, Inspiring Intelligence and Achieving Integrated Symbiosis

The Chinese group closely adhered to the unit objectives and elements of the Chinese language course, utilising AI to create intelligent scenarios that stimulated students’ imaginations and encouraged their active participation in the classroom. This teaching method not only imbued the classroom with a poetic quality but also ensured a high standard of teaching.

Teacher Gong Qiuxia taught “The Gondolas of Venice,” progressing the lesson through the stages of “sorting out—exploring—practicing.” Utilising AI, Mark Twain appeared to “enter the classroom,” dynamically presenting the scene of gondolas gliding, which enabled students to appreciate the charm of the text in a static form. This led students to immerse themselves in the beauty of both movement and stillness in Venice.

Teacher Dai Rui conducted the lesson “The Ears of the Elephant,” centring the entire class around “reading.” She incorporated innovative teaching methods such as AI-assisted follow-up reading and situational dubbing, which injected technological vitality into the text, rich with childlike wonder. Within the classroom, the sound of reading aloud was continuous, and students grasped the essence of “being oneself” through reading and interactive engagement.

Driven by both real-life scenarios and technological empowerment, students actively engaged in exploration and critical thinking. Their enthusiasm for learning Chinese was fully ignited, leading to an organic improvement in their knowledge and literacy.

Exploring the Mysteries of Mathematics and Integrating Learning with Application

The Mathematics group organised their teaching around diverse tasks aligned with consistent teaching expectations. This approach enabled students to perceive the necessity of learning Mathematics within real-world situations and to comprehend the close connection between Mathematics and everyday life when addressing practical problems. Teaching design and classroom presentations were developed in accordance with these principles.

In the lesson “Whole Hours and Half Hours,” Teacher Ling Qi introduced clock teaching aids within the context of real-life scenarios and complemented them with interactive games. This approach enabled students to readily recognise time and master the methods for reading whole and half hours.

In teaching “Classification of Triangles ①,” Teacher Zhang Wanqi employed inquiry-based teaching to guide students in observing, operating, and independently summarising, thus making the complex knowledge of graphical classification logical and effectively stimulating students’ mathematical thinking.

In the lesson “Mathematics Square – Matching Problems,” Teacher Yang Yujing created engaging situations and organised group cooperation, which allowed students to easily grasp mathematical laws through practical application, enhancing their problem-solving abilities and fostering their awareness of application and innovation.

In such a Mathematics classroom, where learning is integrated with application, students, motivated by real tasks, actively explore and engage in deep thinking. This approach kindles their enthusiasm for Mathematics learning and facilitates a natural learning process.

Integrating Languages, Gathering Wisdom, and Creating the Future with Languages

The English group conducted a classroom teaching exhibition and evaluation activity under the theme of “Focusing on the Optimisation of Lesson Types and Exploring New Paths to Improve Quality.” During the activity, three teachers showcased three outstanding lesson examples, each with distinct styles and numerous highlights, fully demonstrating the vitality and depth of the English lesson.

In the lesson example “Join an after-school course together” taught by Teacher Dai Mengxian, she used solid and effective classroom activity design to guide students in learning, understanding, and using the language step by step through rich and diverse language drills.

Teacher Wu Yang Ruoyu’s storytelling approach in “Gulliver the Giant” was unique; she created an immersive environment and supplemented text materials to guide students in deeply understanding the internal logic behind the text and the connections within the story’s information.

Teacher He Qihui conducted a lesson focused on “Sharing fun experiences by postcard.” Using postcards as a medium, she employed clear discourse structure analysis and strategic blackboard writing design to cultivate students’ structured thinking and achieved a coordinated development between language ability and cultural awareness.

In this English classroom that blends learning with application, students, motivated by real language situations, actively express themselves and immerse in deep experiences. This approach ignites their interest and confidence in language learning, making English genuinely serve as a bridge between thinking and culture.

Analysing Classes with Witty Remarks and Guiding Teaching through Evaluation (Words from an Expert Teaching Researcher)

Teacher Zhu Xiangyang, a renowned national Chinese teacher and special-grade educator, said, “The two lessons are exquisitely designed, with clear sections and seamless connections. The Chinese language elements are incorporated through situational context, and learning is guided by ‘sorting out and exploring,’ fully showcasing the charm of the language. The lower-grade classroom is filled with childlike fun. The teacher fosters comprehension through reading, closely focusing on key words for guidance and relates the content to real-life experiences to help students grasp the profound meanings within the text.”

Teacher Zhou Genmei, a teaching researcher for primary school English in Qingpu District, highly praised the three demonstration lessons. She remarked, “The English classrooms at SUIS Qingpu, based on solid discourse research, not only accurately explore the thematic significance and educational value of the teaching materials but also create a language practice platform through tiered activity design. Teachers employ innovative situational tasks to guide students in appreciating the charm of the language through interaction and understanding the cultural connotations through critical thinking, thus achieving a dual enhancement of language ability and thinking quality. What is particularly gratifying is that behind this high-quality classroom is the outcome of repeated refinement and the collective wisdom of the English teaching and research group – from the interpretation of teaching materials to the analysis of the learning situation, from the objective setting to activity optimisation; every step embodies the team’s wisdom.”

Teacher Yang Aijun, a teaching researcher for primary school Mathematics in Qingpu District, commented, “The Mathematics classrooms at SUIS Qingpu employ a meticulously designed question chain as the teaching pathway. This approach adeptly guides students to explore the mysteries of Mathematics through hands-on practice and ignite sparks of thought through cooperation and communication. Students not only grasp the essence of Mathematics through operations but also appreciate the beauty of mathematical thinking in interaction. Such a classroom setting transforms abstract mathematical principles into a tangible exploration process, truly fostering the rooting and germination of core mathematical literacy within the classroom. It is truly wonderful to witness teachers continuously pushing their boundaries during the competition and students consistently growing through their intellectual engagements!”

For the teachers participating in the activity, this teaching competition provides practical experience that enhances teaching abilities, allowing for improvement through refining teaching plans and classroom interactions. Teachers attending the classes can learn from others’ strengths and gain innovative teaching ideas. During the activity, students experience diverse teaching methods, receive more opportunities for expression and practice, and absorb knowledge in a more active and efficient manner within optimised classrooms. This fosters their growth and progress.

“Among numerous boats vying for the lead, only those who strive hard will be the first.” The “Qinghe Cup” enables the teachers of SUIS to learn from each other and conduct research, fulfilling the aims of advancing teaching and research through competition and strongly promoting teachers’ professional development. In the classroom, students’ learning attitudes have shifted from “being told to learn” to “wanting to learn,” exhibiting a high enthusiasm for learning. In the future, we will continue to uphold the concept of “learning as the centre.”