A century-long history of a school is not built by state-of-art facilities or magnificent school buildings, but by a group of dedicated teachers. A member of Wellington College Hangzhou, Hiba Academy Hangzhou is proud to have a professional teaching team, and some of them are graduates from elite universities around the world. What is it about Hiba that appeals to high-achieving teachers? Will their learning experiences inspire their pupils? Today, we interview a Hiba teacher who holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University to see what motivated her to join us.
Today’s guest
Alice Wang
Assistant Head of Primary
Bachelor of Arts, Beijing Normal University, majoring in Chinese language and literature
Master of Education, Harvard University, specialising in language and literacy education
National Chinese teaching qualification with rich teaching and management experience
A vibrant and knowledgeable teacher with a master’s degree from Harvard
I completed my master’s degree at Harvard University, specialising in Language and Literacy Education. From scientific research and literacy review, my study made me understand how bilingual experiences could shape cognition and learning, using neuroimaging and behavioural methods. My time at Harvard inspired me. A well-rounded education is what will come to be expected in the future. The next generation we cultivate must be academically inclined, but more importantly, be equipped with humanitarian ideals, international perspective, cultural confidence and a sincere passion for life. It was what drove me to choose bilingual education as my career path.
“We educate for the future at Hiba”
Hiba is an excellent bilingual school. What appeals to me most, is its well-rounded educational ethos. Bilingual learning at Hiba is an immersive journey. It allows our pupils to freely and interactively embark on deep thinking, emotional expression and information exchanges. At Hiba, we do not pursue isolated academic excellence, but also focus on providing a caring environment and tapping their potential in all areas. I believe pupils cultivated with this philosophy and mindset will become the furture talents in demand.
Our courses at Hiba put focus on improving the critical thinking ability of our pupils. We want them to be aware of current affairs and pursue truth with an ability to apply, analyse, evaluate and innovate.
We are proud to see Hiba pupils pursue truth, challenge with reason and solve problems with courage. We want our Hiba pupils to be trendsetters with a resolution to tackle difficulties through diligent work and critical thinking.
“I realised solid career development at Hiba.”
I attend a wide variety of training sessions every semester at Hiba. Some training sessions are for teaching skills, such as Chinese teaching. Others are for learning the intricacies of school management, such as a school’s social obligations and legal responsibilities. Some involve presentations and workshops led by overseas experts. We can be progressive in education as we are truly connected to the most cutting-edge research both at home and abroad and can offer the best education for our pupils.
With the support of Hiba’s training and career development system, I am proud to have progressed from being a Chinese teacher to the assistant head of primary. I will continue guiding the pupils to find their inner passion in a broader world.
“I am a firm believer of home-school linked education.”
Meanwhile, I believe that the development of a school cannot be achieved without parental support. Parents of Hiba pupils are busy. There are 1:1 parent-teacher conferences, large-scale curriculum evenings every academic year, and many parent-school events, such as phrasal learning reports and exhibitions, weekly class morning sessions, annual musical production and sports fixtures. We also have parent workshops of all kinds. There are sessions for positive parenting, Chinese creative writing, English Talk-for-Writing, science week, maths week, etc. I believe home-school education is vital to children’s growth as it allows us to guide the pupils to find their passion without seeking instant gratification, but instead, to focus on their everyday life.
“Chinese teaching and learning is a link between China and the world.”
In recent years, the Chinese department of Hiba primary has been applying and implementing the learning of Chinese cultural sessions throughout the curriculum. [insert link here Chinese curriculum at Hiba primary (qq.com) We hope to cultivate a stronger sense of Chinese history and culture for Hiba pupils so they are equipped with the ability to tell Chinese stories well on a broader stage and bridge the East and West. I believe the world needs well-rounded talents, and I welcome parents with the same ideals to join us. Let us work together and support our pupils to realise this goal.
The motto of Hiba, "cultivating talent through virtue, kindness and integrity”, is also what our Hiba teachers hold dear. They are examples of excellence for our pupils to follow. We are certain that with the support of our brilliant academic team and the immersive learning environment, Hiba pupils will achieve academic excellence in the near future.
