Teaching and Learning @ VMA
VMA is a special place where parents, administrators, teachers and students all take an active role in building and maintaining the high-quality standards together. VMA immerses students and teachers into a global learning community focused on developing 21st Century skills in a student-centered, multilingual learning environment.
Teaching
VMA truly embodies the motto “Successful Future Through Creation”. To this end, VMA believes in supporting and investing in their teachers so that they may create their own successful career path. Our Induction and New Teacher Mentoring Program, Instructional Coaching Program, ongoing professional development training, and teacher leadership pathways, help teachers find their own path from the first day they step on campus. We want to ensure commitment to VMA is rewarded with a one-of-a-kind professional experience!
Supporting our VMA teachers in the areas of curriculum, instruction and assessment, are the Director of Teaching and Learning, Academic Support Office, and Dean of Academics. Through our Teaching and Learning Center, we offer more than 50 workshops each semester providing relevant training in the areas of eLearning, classroom management, student-centered instructional strategies, and best practices, to name just a few. Our VMA Instructional Coaching Program provides teachers one-on-one and small cohort team coaching & targeted training to refine instructional practice.
Teaching
VMA also provides on-site professional development training three times a year using facilitators that are tops in their field of expertise (e.g., US Administrators, Trainers from UCLA Math Project and Cambridge). Teachers may also attend specialized training abroad for AP, Cambridge courses or similar.
We have a wonderful, day-to-day, sharing and learning community, allowing teachers an opportunity to grow and develop at their own pace. VMA provides teachers multiple opportunities to grow professionally through leadership on school improvement committees, coaching and mentoring programs, or through grade level, course section, and departmental leadership. Teachers can truly create their own career future at VMA.
Learning
At the heart of each classroom is the VMA teacher – understanding, supportive, encouraging, with high expectations for learning. VMA teachers really care about their students – how to develop their strengths, overcome their weaknesses and guide them as they progress on their own unique path.
Center to the learning at VMA is the development of the 21st Century Skills – Communication, Cooperation, Creativity, and Critical Thinking- using English as the primary language of learning (with the exception of the Chinese language, history and politics, and geography classes).
Learning
Student-centered practices such as incorporating discussions, debates, seminars, presentations of learning, and group projects are prevalent through all courses – Chinese or the US Liberal Arts and Cambridge courses. And as we know, no two students are alike, so VMA teachers use personalized learning strategies and student choice in assignments and projects. This focus on student-centered learning and 21st century skill development ensures the students are accountable to their own learning, prepared to study abroad or locally at top colleges and universities.
Another key component of the learning is found through the diploma pathways. Students can choose track dual programs that earn them the Chinese National and Cambridge or US Liberal Arts (including art track) diplomas. And through our specialty VMAA division, students may earn a Visual or Performing Arts Diploma preparing them for admissions to top music and art schools. Whatever the direction, a path is waiting to be discovered by each student.