On March 20, MIC (Majestic International College) held its Professional Development Day for the spring semester. The full-day workshop centered around three key themes, aiming to enhance staff expertise in building student relationships, supporting mental health, and ensuring safeguarding—further fostering a warm, professional, and secure learning environment.
At the start of the event, Principal Feng Xiaosheng delivered a speech, sharing with all the faculty how MIC defines an excellent educator and the school’s future development direction.
Principal Feng pointed out that at MIC, an excellent educator must possess not only solid professional competence but also passion and warmth in their approach to education. He emphasized that the school will continue to dedicate itself to building a team of faculty and staff who are caring, responsible, and capable, with student growth at the core, fostering a safe, trusting, and empathetic campus environment. Principal Feng’s remarks set a warm and determined tone for the full-day workshop, while also helping everyone gain a clearer understanding of MIC’s direction and mission moving forward.
The first workshop of the morning was led by two invited speakers, Diana Hu and Yuen Pang. As prevention specialists with over a decade of experience, the two facilitators guided staff to re-examine the central role of teacher-student relationships in student development under the theme “The Adults in the Room: Building Relationships That Help Students Thrive.”
Drawing on the Harvard Grant Study, John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, and the PERMA-H model of wellbeing, Yuen emphasized: “Relationships are the foundation of student growth. Trust, empathy, and support between teachers and students often matter more than instructional methods in shaping academic success and emotional wellbeing.”
Through interactive activities, staff reflected on their current relationships with students and explored how key qualities such as trust, hope, forgiveness, integrity, and empathy contribute to meaningful connections. Yuen also introduced practical communication strategies like Active Constructive Responding, empowering staff to express care and support more effectively in daily interactions.
The second workshop continued to focus on student mental health, exploring how to recognize students’ emotional states and respond to their psychological needs within everyday classroom practice. Using the Mood Meter developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, staff learned to identify when students are in the “red” or “blue” emotional zones and practiced skills in empathy, listening, and emotional regulation.
Through case studies and scenario-based practice, staff gained a deeper understanding of the behaviors behind emotions and learned how to offer safe, consistent emotional support without overstepping. “Emotions are not problems—they are information. When we learn to read emotions, we truly begin to reach our students.” Staff shared that the workshop brought them valuable insights.
The afternoon session was led by Deputy Head Pastoral, Katherine He, who presented on the Student Safeguarding and Wellbeing Policy. She systematically explained the school’s policy framework for student protection, child protection, and mental health support, clarifying the distinctions and connections between the three.
She emphasized: “Ensuring every child feels safe, heard, and understood is our most fundamental responsibility.” During the session, she outlined key indicators of harmful behaviors toward students, staff reporting responsibilities, and communication principles when responding to student disclosures or expressions of concern. She also highlighted the importance of maintaining professional boundaries in daily interactions—including language, behavior, and social media use—to strike a balance between warmth and professionalism.
This Professional Development Day was more than a training—it was a shared commitment to our educational mission. From building relationships to understanding emotions to ensuring safety, the three themes formed a cohesive framework that helps staff build a more systematic, thoughtful, and compassionate approach to student support.
MIC (Majestic International College) is committed to fostering a safe, trusting, and empathetic campus environment—one where every student is seen, understood, and supported, and where every educator is equipped with both expertise and heart to guide students toward growth and excellence.
The school places great emphasis on staff professional development, continuously empowering its educators through systematic, well-structured training to safeguard the growth and wellbeing of every student.
