This Tuesday, get to know Mei Chen, 4th-8th grade Mandarin teacher.
Mei has taught at Hillbrook for more than 10 years and is most struck by the way that Hillbrook students demonstrate the 3 C’s: curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Hillbrook students cultivate a good learning community that support each other’s learning. When they present their projects, she shares, not only do students recognize each others’ efforts, strengths ,and uniqueness with encouraging words, but they also give valuable constructive feedback for further improvement.
Her favorite student project is the “My Story – Picture Talk” project. It is impressive and precious for both students and for me as their teacher to know the most significant events in their lives through this project. There are a lot of “wow” moments. Her favorite unit to teach is the “My Clothes” unit. “Based on their interest and choices, students use what they have learned to create different projects such as a fashion show, a fashion ad, a shopping channel, etc.,” Mei shares.
What drew Mei to Hillbrook was the warm welcome she received from the community 13 years ago when she started Chinese program. It began with one 6th grade class and, thanks to the continuous support and encouragement from the administration, faculty, and staff, the Chinese program now spans 4th through 8th grade.