our other school goals into one harmonious
whole is no simple task. But I believe theories,
reflections, practice, and perseverance will
produce the answer I seek. This is a meaningful
and enjoyable task,” she recognizes.
emotions. “After the episode with Doudou, I was
especially mindful of keeping my patience, and
used a child’s specific interest as an entry point
for cutting down any communication barrier.”
Each child is a different flower, of a different
color says Che Qing, “Those children who are
labeled as “problematic” are often overlooked
gems waiting to be discovered!” Every child
needs careful attention and nurturing to be
prepared for the world. At Keystone Academy,
Ms. Che believes this is possible.
Preparing Students
Future, for the World
for
the
“Our world is changing rapidly every day,
and we want our students to be always at the
ready for this new world,” the Head of School
remarked at the school’s Dedication Ceremony.
Keystone’s ethos maintains that cultivating the
right skills and qualities is more fundamental
to education than curricular content. Such
skills and qualities not only include learning
capacity, but also deep wisdom and open
minds. “Kids of this generation tend to be
overly self-conscious. We must help them to
learn how to respect others and cope with
differences,” Ms. Che explains.
In her opinion, although direct, explicit
guidance is veritably important in addressing
this issue, subtler approaches and influences
may be more effective. Ms. Che practices this
by bringing her own life experiences to her
students’ education. “My father and mother are
of Mongol and Evenki ethnicity respectively, so
I grew up with two languages and two different
cultures. This was before I was introduced to
the Chinese language and culture at the age
of five. I have been immersed in the fun and
joy that a multicultural environment brings,
which also teaches me to respect people from
different cultural backgrounds, and gives me
confidence when meeting them,” she says,
adding, “I make an effort to help my students
learn about and get a feel for other cultures,
and understand the diverse world that they live
in. My hope is that through my efforts, they
will expand their horizons and mindsets, learn
to respect and accept people from different
cultures.”
A worldly vision is only one side of the coin:
an understanding of the world and its many
cultures must be nurtured witho