Learner-centered Community

You are what you think all day long.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

我們的想法決定了我們是誰。

在教學的層面上，我們所有的教學成果，都來自於我們內心深處對學生的想望。

這樣的想望決定了我們的在教學上的思、言、行。
At the educational level, our instructional practices, our speech and our expectations for students are informed by
what we picture the future holds for our students.

在你的想望中，我們的孩子將生活在一個同理、互助、快樂的未來嗎？
Do you envision our future generations living in
an empathetic future world that values common good?

PD Activities and Exercises:

Empathy holds the key to transform learning because it underlies all sorts of collaboration and promotes meaningful relationship (communication) between human beings. It embraces diversity (culture) and redirects creativity and critical thinking for the common good. That is why at the beginning level of education (K-4), it is crucial for learners to experience life that embodies the four Cs (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration) we view so highly and important for the 21st century generations.

Click on the icon to read about the topics and learn about tips that can help you build a learner-centered community.

An exemplar practice in the US school

Program Resources:

Ideas, activities and instructional tips curated in this website are informed by the programs listed below. Click on the icons to obtain more information about the programs.

1. Kids At Hope

Kids at Hope is a program that focuses on building relationship and helping students succeed. This belief based framework centers on three principles that guide its practices:
(1) A strong belief that all children are capable of success. No exceptions.
(2) The connections with all children are meaningful and sustainable.
(3) Envision of a future that children wish to reach and attain.
- adapted from Kids at Hope, PD training series

*Training and Handbook can be requested via email.

2. Disciplines That Restores

Discipline That Restores (DTR) is an alternative discipline system that empowers individuals to reflect on their responses to outward stimuli when conflicts arise. Different from traditional punitive discipline systems, it centers on five principles:
(1) Purposefully resolving conflict with respect, critical thinking and cooperative negotiation.
(2) Recognition of rules and guidelines that are previously agreed upon.
(3) Participants involved in the conflicts deciding how to make things right.
(4) Mediation process includes: recognizing the conflict, searching for agreement to restore equity and to clarify the future, and following up on the agreements.
(5) Recognizing a learner-centered "power with" rather than "power over."
- adapted from DTR, training series

3. Responsive Classroom

Responsive Classroom is an approach that recognizes the relationship between academic success and social-emotional wellbeing. It focuses on building positive learning community through teacher language use, effective management, and developmental awareness. The four key domains of Responsive Classroom are:
(1) engaging academics,
(2) Positive community
(3) Effective management
(4) Developmentally responsive teaching
- adapted from Responsive Classroom training series

4. Sanford Harmony

Sanford Harmony is a program that empowers the student to build healthy relationship with their peers and develop their social emotional wellbeing. It focuses on five themes: (1) diversity and inclusion, (2) empathy and critical thinking, (3) communication, (4) problem solving and (5) peer relationships. It is a non-cost program. The materials and training can be requested online and through emails to the organization.