Teaching Essential Life Skills

The world is changing. Fast! What skills and qualities do our students need to Graduate Worldwise? Our teachers reflected upon this fundamental question as part of this week’s professional learning.

There is a strong correlation between our responses and the recent Google position paper on The Future of the Classroom. We know from business leaders that these skills and qualities are in high demand. How effective are schools at developing these traits? At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi our students are celebrated as individuals – they are names not numbers – and this makes it easier for us to focus on personal development so that they can Learn Worldwise skills. As a small school with a highly personal approach, we are well positioned to adapt and incorporate these essential skills and qualities into the DNA of College life. That is why we embrace the mindset that getting better never stops. We are committed to developing our curriculum and learning environment to ensure that our students are well equipped for both the challenges and opportunities that await them. We are equally committed to high quality professional learning for our teachers so that they are empowered to keep pace with change and Teach Worldwise. This week, we have valued input from the highly regarded Evidence Based Education group from the University of Cambridge and Professor Gerard Calnin from the University of Melbourne. Our teachers are open to new ideas because they are passionate about education and motivated to make a difference for our students. Our collaborative culture encourages them to share best practice and grow together. The impact of this is a vibrant learning community, which I am very proud to lead.