Ms. Gillis Reflects on HFI’s Legacy and Bright Future

Ms. Gillis joined the HFI community in 2023 as the instructor for the Y10 pre-AP course. Her role, as she describes it, focuses on teaching communication skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening – four critical components of the English language. With prior teaching experience in the United States, where she specialized in English Literature, Ms. Gillis brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for her subject to her students at HFI.

Reflecting on her experience so far, Ms. Gillis spoke highly of the school’s culture and capacity to unite the entire community. “International Day is really fun,” Ms. Gillis shared. “It’s a good showcase of students’ interest in broader cultures. Also, I appreciate the student performances, such as Voice and the New Year show. These are the moments where the school can kind of come together and celebrate student accomplishments that are more than academics.”

Ms. Gillis has been particularly impressed by the growth of her students, especially the Y10 classes she taught last year, “I think they have taken on a lot of responsibility now. Even though they are not my students anymore, I can see the maturity that has developed. They are less hesitant and shy about reaching out to teachers, especially foreign teachers,” she observed. Mr. Gillis points out that the students here at HFI are very ambitious and hard-working. She observes that students are willing to put a lot of their time and effort into things they want to do.

 “The freedom students have here mirrors what they’ll experience at university and as adults, where they’ll need to manage their own time and make important decisions,” she explained when asked about HFI’s teaching philosophies, expressing her appreciation for the school’s emphasis on student independence. “In the states, students are typically required to stay on campus the entire day, moving from one class to the next during set hours. There’s very little freedom to move around. It’s like you’re in one class and another class for that assigned hour, and there’s not a lot of freedom to move around. I like this HFI model because it makes sure that students are being responsible.”

Despite having just worked at HFI for a year and a half, Ms. Gillis thinks the school's strong dedication to building community, accomplishing objectives, and nourishing ambitions has been a fundamental part of its identity for more than 20 years. Looking ahead, she is optimistic about HFI’s future. “I think that in the next 20 years, HFI can meet those goals and see them come to life, especially with the plans for the new campus and everything. I think that would be amazing.”

二十年传承与未来展望：Ms. Gillis回顾与HFI的一年相处

Ms. Gillis于2023年加入HFI，担任Y10 Pre-AP课程的教师。她的教学专注于培养沟通能力，涵盖阅读、写作、口语和听力四大核心技能。在加入HFI之前，Ms. Gillis曾在美国教授英语文学，积累了丰富的教学经验。她将对学科的热情和深厚的专业知识带到了HFI，为课堂注入了新的活力。

回顾她在HFI的经历，Ms. Gillis高度赞扬了学校的文化氛围和社区凝聚力。她表示：“国际日非常有趣，充分展现了学生对多元文化的兴趣。我也特别喜欢学生们在Voice和新年演出中的表现。这些活动不仅展示了他们的才华，还让整个学校能够共同庆祝超越学术的成就。”

谈及学生的成长，Ms. Gillis印象深刻，尤其是去年她所教授的Y10班级。“我发现他们现在变得更加负责。虽然他们已经不是我的学生了，但我能明显感受到他们的成熟。他们在与老师，特别是外教沟通时，不再那么犹豫和害羞了。”

她观察到，HFI的学生非常有抱负且努力，并愿意投入大量时间和精力去实现自己的目标。谈到HFI的教学理念时，Ms. Gillis说道：“这里学生的自由度与他们未来在大学和成年后的经历十分相似，他们需要管理自己的时间并做出负责任的决定。”她表示很欣赏学校对学生独立性的重视。“在美国，学生通常需要整天待在校园里，在固定的时间段从一个教室到另一个教室，没有太多自由活动的空间。相比之下，我很喜欢HFI的这种模式，它让学生在确保责任感的同时获得更多自由。”

尽管在HFI的工作时间只有一年半，Ms. Gillis认为学校对于构建社区、实现目标和激发志向的强烈承诺已经成为其20多年来的核心特色。展望未来，她对HFI充满信心。“我相信在未来的20年里，HFI能够实现这些目标并将其变为现实，特别是随着新校区计划的推进。我觉得这将会非常了不起！”

文: 2023级Ruihan Li