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ISA Wenhua GZFLS IB programme adheres to the advanced educational philosophy of Guangzhou Foreign Language School, ISA International Education Group and IB curriculum, attracting excellent Chinese and foreign teachers with good qualifications, passion for teaching, and rich experience.

Because of similar teaching philosophies and educational ideals, another group of elite teachers chose to join us in this new school year. Next, we'll get to know our faculty with you.

In this teacher interview, we invited Helen Sanders, Head of Humanities and TOK, to share her experience, feelings and advice with us.

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After graduating from Oxford, Helen has been teaching for almost 20 years. She has worked in different curriculum systems, including IGCSE and the British national curriculum. So why did she choose to teach IB?

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"The philosophy of IB deeply attracts me," Helen said.

She said that IB is a curriculum system that places great emphasis on holistic education.

She cites TOK as an example, “ TOK allows students to have a deeper understanding and exploration of what knowledge is, why it is formed, and how to obtain it. The course guides them to think more deeply, divergently, and dialectically about the things around them.

Helen feels that IB allows students to become more confident because it encourages them to develop a wide range of skills and attributes that provide solid foundations for lifelong success.

The IB learning methods and assessments enable IB students to develop stronger language skills. "In the IB assessment, IA (Internal Assessment) occupies an important proportion, including experimental reports, Investigation, etc., which greatly exercise the students' academic language ability." In addition, she said, in contrast, IB encourages more oral presentation assignments, and IB teachers also encourage more independent learning and expressing opinions and ideas.

In addition, IB cultivates independent inquiry and thinking skills. Helen recounted that some students who had graduated came back to visit her, saying that IB's development of independent inquiry and thinking habits helped them quickly adapt to university life. So, although this learning method is challenging and even a little difficult for students now, they will significantly benefit in the future. "

Time management is an essential skill that IB students improve during their daily studies. Diana, an IB G12 student, shared: "IB has high requirements for students' time management skills. A considerable part of our homework is project-based and requires practical inquiry or group cooperation to complete, so we need to learn to plan time so as not to miss the deadline."  This supports Helen's view that the time management skills that IB focuses on will benefit students for life.

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Helen believes that teaching IB is also very beneficial to teachers' self-development. Helen said: "Teaching IB is more challenging. We hope to guide students in the class to learn to cooperate, inquire independently, and think diligently. Therefore, on the one hand, teachers need to be more attentive in teaching, and on the other hand, they need to think more deeply about their subject knowledge.

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Helen decided to join the ISA Wenhua GZFLS IB Programme, not only out of recognition of the IB philosophy but also the concept of the program.

ISA International Education Group is deeply engaged in the world's top international education, adhering to the vision and guiding principles of  "Inquire, Succeed Act". It provides a global village-style educational environment and educational resources for integrating cultures from various countries. As a result, students can live in an inclusive and diverse environment, connect with the world, experience, grow, and implement IB holistic education.

We hope our students have a Chinese soul and a world vision while studying at Guangzhou Foreign Language School. In addition to cultivating students to have an international perspective, from the beginning of admission, we attach great importance to the education of students' traditional Chinese culture and enhance their sense of identity. "And that sense of identity is important", Helen said.

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Helen has helped many students applying to Oxford and Cambridge with interview support and coaching to help them succeed.

Helen gives the students the following two suggestions.

First, read more, and think more. "It may be different from what many students think. Oxford is not looking for the smartest students, but those who are passionate about subject knowledge, open-minded and thoughtful," Helen said. Reading more and thinking diligently are crucial ways to broaden your horizons and form good thinking habits.

Second, students should learn how to express their views and opinions clearly. Helen said that top universities value students' ability to express their ideas confidently and clearly, an essential criterion for evaluating their academic ability to communicate. Therefore, students need to improve their English to an academic level and participate in the classroom actively.

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Helen will continue to support IB students, accompanying them in their growth and helping them move into a better future,