Empowering Students to Lead the Way

Student-Led conferences are a fantastic way to help families understand our values and what learning looks like at the Western International School of Shanghai. Moreover, these conferences illuminate students’ learning and the skills they acquire through the WISS Education, such as communication and self-management skills, agency, and risk-taking while facing challenges.

In the words of Ms. Fiona Morris, Early Years Principal at the Western International School of Shanghai, “Student-Led Conferences are a celebration of learning, and in the Early Years, we work with the students to enable them to guide parents through key learning experiences that have helped them to develop their understanding and skills further. The Units of Inquiry provide the foundation for the careful development of each learning experience, enabling the teachers to design meaningful opportunities for children to demonstrate, learn and develop these essential foundational skills. During Student-Led Conferences, students are excited to share their newly acquired skills and proudly guide their parents through these learning experiences. Throughout all new learning, we encourage parents to engage in what their child has been learning so that they may continue to support their development at home. Students learn with each new experience, and as parents learn more about what students are learning and how they learn, families can better support this development in the experiences in the home when taking trips to the shops, exploring nature, and when visiting new places”.

Recently, students at the Western International School of Shanghai were very eager to share their learning with their families, and it was delightful to see the extraordinary level of engagement and the celebration of students’ achievements as a community.