Stamford American School: What Makes a Great Teacher

Meet Stamford American School’s Superintendent,
Mr. Malcolm Kay, and learn more about Stamford’s teachers at Open House!

Selecting the right school for your child is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make for his or her future. With so many new international schools opening in Hong Kong this year and next, the amount of choice out there is a blessing but it can also be overwhelming. There are many different factors to consider when assessing the best fit for your little one’s academic ability, personality, behaviours and talents. One of the most important aspects is the quality of teachers delivering the educational program but, how do you know what makes a great teacher?

Stamford American School opens in Hong Kong in September 2017 and – as its sister school in Singapore has been named the Super School of Asia – it’s safe to say that the standards of this establishment are of the highest quality.

Stamford has recruited a stellar faculty for the Hong Kong campus; all of whom possess supreme academic qualifications, as well as invaluable practical experience. The teachers are dedicated, passionate about their subject matter and enthused to work within a diverse community. Open-minded and curious, Stamford’s teachers help students form connections across various disciplines and emphasise proactive and collaborative learning. Teachers joining Stamford’s Hong Kong campus are coming from the Singapore campus, or joining from the U.S. and bring with them a wealth of cross-cultural and dynamic experiences, which they can impart on to their students.

Studies have shown that there is a marked difference between “lucky” schools and “leading” schools. A “lucky” school is one where students achieve high results, but there is minimal hypothesis about how students achieve those outcomes. A “leading” school is one where students obtain high results and teachers have an in-depth understanding as to how and why each success occurred. Stamford is classified as a “leading school”, where individualised learning plans and regular standards-based MAP® assessments are used to understand each student’s needs and set personalised targets and learning goals, allowing each child to fully maximise his or her potential.

Stamford’s teachers are committed to delivering learning programs that follow Bloom’s Taxonomy, where students not only “remember, understand and apply” but go beyond this to “analyse, evaluate and synthesise/innovate”. Moving away from restrictive ways of teaching, Stamford encourages students to expand their way of processing knowledge; by enabling them to think outside of the box and explore multiple solutions to effectively problem solve.

Each Stamford classroom promotes “high leverage teaching strategies” to:

• Identify specific learning goals;
• Present material in a practical manner;
• Promote problem solving;
• Ask questions to assess student understanding;
• Connect present and previous learning habits;
• Communicate clear standards and deliver consistent feedback;
• Deliver differentiated content;
• Convey high expectations;
• Engage students in active learning; and
• Develop cognitive and metacognitive strategies.

To learn more about Stamford’s curriculum and admissions process, drop by to one of Stamford’s open days this month.

All the Details…

When: Wednesday, 26 April, Thursday, 27 April, Saturday, 29 April
Where: Stamford American School, 25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon
How much: Open house information sessions are free to attend and a light breakfast, lunch or dinner will be provided. Register online here.

To discover more about Stamford’s team of teachers, you can read their individual bios here.