YCIS Shanghai Teachers Strive for Continuous Learning

Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) understands that in order for teachers to be able to provide the best education possible to children, they must continue to learn about how children learn. Before every school year, the YCIS Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme holds a conference to educate their teachers about the various new research that has been discovered on education worldwide. The YCIS ECE group is encouraged to attend seminars around the world on the changing education environment, and is often visited by early childhood education experts. This summer YCIS ECE teachers continued their learning process, which has helped them focus on the philosophy of how children learn, rather than on what subjects teachers should be teaching.

The renowned YCIS Shanghai schooling system holds the standard of their teaching staff to a high degree, which they reinforce by supporting their teachers as they continually learn about new teaching methods. Learning about new teaching methods is essential, but the proper explanation of how children learn is also an important aspect to consider. Essentially, teachers must learn about the process of learning so that they understand how to more effectively teach their students. To better accommodate this learning curve, YCIS has a unique system called the enquiry-based learning approach. This approach requires frequent training and reinforcement, as new research and information is constantly being improved.

Therefore YCIS has teamed up with renowned early childhood education experts and organisations, so that teachers are given up-to-date information on this area. During the summer YCIS ECE teachers are given the opportunity to attend conferences that build on the teachers' knowledge of the enquiry-based approach, as well as various other teaching methods for young children. By doing this, teachers are able to educate students in a manner that develops student's love of learning. According to Elizabeth Randall, the superintendent of ECE at YCIS, "Children are inspired to learn when they are led on a journey of discovery rather than when they are subjected to passive, rote learning." Randall encourages teachers in this method of teaching, ensuring they understand why this approach is so important.

YCIS also works closely with a number of early childhood education experts, like Dr. Kathy Sylva, a professor of education psychology at Oxford, to share research results at various conferences that YCIS holds for their teachers. The experience of learning from education experts, in person, provides YCIS teachers with the opportunity to interact and gain valuable knowledge and skills through firsthand experience. YCIS has also been fortunate to work with other experts, including Lilian Katz, a professor emeritus of early childhood education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Thelma Harms, a developer of the early childhood environment rating scale, and many more. Importantly, Dr. Betty Chan, the Director of YCIS, has also played an instrumental role in advancing international and intercultural understanding through education, and Chan has developed YCIS such that these beliefs are incorporated within the schools' international education.

By utilising experts, as well as continuous professional development, YCIS is able to provide an ideal learning environment for their teachers. And by doing this, the teachers are in turn offering an ideal learning environment for their students. YCIS continues to focus on developing the theme of "how to teach children in order for them to develop and learn most successfully in the long run". By offering ways for teachers to better themselves and succeed more fully, YCIS is ensuring that their top tier education is sustained and improved.

About YCIS Shanghai
Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) has served the needs of Shanghai's expatriates by providing excellent international education in a multicultural environment since its establishment in 1993. The schools' campuses are located in prime locations in both Puxi and Pudong to accommodate the growing number of Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary students in the Shanghai expatriate community. YCIS Shanghai serves over 2400 students from 52 countries and regions, and YCIS students graduate to some of the most prestigious universities around the world. YCIS Shanghai is an IB World School.