How Can We Become Better Mentors: ICI Held a Meeting to Share the Experience of Training Students

In order to further optimize the training of graduate students, improve process management, and better implement the work of moral education, the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction (ICI) organized a meeting to share the experience of training students on December 18. The meeting was chaired by Associate Professor Zhou Wenye, Director of ICI, and Zhao Qi, Director of the Department of Teaching Affairs, the Faculty of Education, was invited to share the new measures of student training.

▲ Zhou Wenye

Director of the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction

▲ Zhao Qi

Director of the Department of Teaching Affairs, the Faculty of Education

Zhao Qi first affirmed the exploration ICI has made in the training of students, such as the reform of student training system, the innovation of domestic visiting system, the organization of Stanford study tours, etc., especially the publication of scientific research achievements and the cultivation of excellent doctoral theses. Subsequently, Zhao introduced the current adjustment of the guiding ideology of graduate education at the national level, then, she further explains the new measures of graduate training at the school and department level specifically. Zhao encouraged ICI to deeply participate in and actively explore in related fields.

▲ Xiao Sihan.

Deputy Director of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching

On this basis, Associate Professor Xiao Sihan, Deputy Director of ICI, introduced the relevant policies and regulations of ECNU and the Faculty of Education on postgraduate training from three aspects: enrollment, training and degree. The new system of mentor guidance group, flexible academic system, dissertation defense and evaluation has triggered in-depth discussions.

▲ Zhu Lijing

Academic Secretary, the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction

Subsequently, Zhu Lijing, the academic secretary of ICI, introduced the various links and requirements of the training of students in ICI. She pointed out that the training process is interlinked, she reminded mentors to inform students to pay attention to the timeline.

Experience Sharing

In the second half of the meeting, the mentors of ICI carried out in-depth exchanges around “How to cultivate better students”. Professor Cui Yunhuo, Professor Wu Gangping, Professor Zhou Yong, Associate Professor An Guiqing and other experienced mentors suggest that young mentors are supposed to:

1. Keep abreast of the latest policy on the training of postgraduates.

2. Strengthen management during the training process, be strict with students.

3. Strengthen daily writing training, promote writing ability by writing practice.

4. The topic selection of the thesis should be based on both the learning situation, and students’ research interests.

▲ Associate Professor An Guiqing ▲ Professor Zhou Yong

Associate Professor An Guiqing attaches great importance to process management and believes that mentors can understand students’ research interests and directions through tasks and daily communication. At the same time, she reflected on her mentoring experience over the past ten years, she pointed out that appropriate instruction helps to stimulate students’ creativity and potential.

Professor Zhou Yong expressed his understanding of the changes in students’ learning, life experience and attitude in different times, and believed that while giving students tolerance, understanding, encouragement and help, mentors must grasp the yardstick. At the same time, he also suggested that the graduate training system can try to provide more diversified training programs to meet the needs of students with different abilities.

▲ Professor Wu Gangping ▲ Professor Cui Yunhuo

Professor Wu Gangping shared his story on enrollment, he advised young mentors to think as much as possible about “what training methods should be provided for students with different needs and characteristics” from the beginning of the enrollment. It is necessary to carry out personalized training based on students’ interests and wishes, and keep in mind the bottom line thinking while giving students free space for development.

Professor Cui Yunhuo introduced the changes of postgraduate training ideas in different stages through four cases. He suggested that mentors must have a “bottom line awareness” to encourage students to develop different abilities, and emphasized process management to let students understand the bottom line the task that must be done and the right time point of graduate study.

In-depth Discussion

At the end of the meeting, the young mentors of ICI have made full communication with senior mentors around “how to guide students to make clear the development direction” “the scale of thesis guidance and revision” and so on. The atmosphere of the meeting was warm and harmonious, and the young mentors said that they had benefited a lot and were deeply inspired.