Give Students a Reason to Study—an Exclusive Interview with Ms. Li Jiarui

Upon her return from studying at North Carolina State University, Ms. Li presented a demo class to the English department.

Although Ms. Li was already an experienced teacher, last year she went to America to study primary education. Therefore, her demo class combined elements of eastern and western teaching cultures.

Ms. Li chose class 2(5) to do the demo class with her. Weather was the topic of the class. In western culture, weather is a very common topic in daily conversations. Ms. Li encouraged students to do “role play” in order to let them practice saying the words they just learned.

Ms. Li discussed her demo class, saying, “I feel grateful for all the help I got from my colleagues and mentors, as they helped me to restructure my class design. Because of their constant polishing, I presented a great demo class. I believe my new teaching method is likely to motivate students’ to study and give them a reason to explore learning.”

For her demo class, Ms. Li used a creative new teaching strategy. She now values the use of formative assessment in class. Assessment during the class time is effective and teachers can get their feedback in a more efficient way. Moreover, this allows students to have more time to relax after school.

Apart from formative assessment, Ms. Li also utilized group-based work. In Ms Li’s opinion, group-based teaching also helps students’ individual development. Over time, this method can improve children’s active learning abilities and teamwork skills.

“Group work is a way to develop children’s learning dispositions,” says Ms. Li. These learning dispositions can be transferred to their social skills and help their future development in the real world. Thus, Ms. Li is going to stimulate students’ active learning to broaden their horizon and improve their self-confidence.