Child
Centered
Why Child Centered?
“Student-centered practices enable schools to extend the learning environment beyond traditional boundaries, in terms of content taught, pedagogy used, as well as the physical learning environment and the flexible use of time, to engage and support all learners.”
Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education
How We Do It?
Child-centered: A core belief at DSHK is that all students have the capacity to learn and by trusting in students’ intelligence there is no limit to what a child can do. Our child-centered philosophy focuses on three key tenets. First, we believe in the importance of relationships between teachers and students. Every faculty member is responsible for deeply understanding each child- his/her interests, strengths, fears, challenges, families, etc. By knowing our students, we are able to tailor instruction to best support each individual child’s learning trajectory. Second, we value and celebrate the development of the whole child. DSHK students are immersed an a wide array of subject areas from Literacy to S.T.E.A.M to the arts.
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Each child brings unique gifts and strengths to different areas, and it is our responsibility to build upon these strengths. Once a child begins to feel confident in one area, then a transference starts to take place in other areas of study. Lastly, we focus on student engagement and rigor across subjects. When students are actively engaged in their learning, then they are willing and able to challenge themselves beyond any grade level standard. For “education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” (William Butler Yeats)
Chinese Culture
Anchor our value system around the Chinese values of “Benevolence, Virtuousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Trustworthiness”
DUAL CURRICULUM
An expansive and inclusive model of education that encompasses an international outlook and a local perspective.