Education is the foundation of a nation. Teachers are the foundation of education.
In line with the original intention of “educating people for the nation’s rejuvenation, cultivating talents for the country’s prosperity”, Beijing Normal University made a strategic decision in 2019 to build a national center for preparing elementary and secondary school teachers, and to lead the reform in the field of teacher education for Chinese K-12 education at BNU Zhuhai campus by relying on the university’s traditional advantage of normal education. Consequently, it was decided to establish the “Leyu College” in July, 2020 to cultivate state-funded students of teaching and future teachers of students in the “Zhiyuan Project” with targeted employment in an innovative way. The College also explores and develops “academic school + residential college” collaborative education model which is appropriate to the goal of “great mentors of the great country,” to realize the goal of the “3-Alls” (all staff, all stages and all-round education) education model. The establishment of Leyu College is an important measure for Beijing Normal University to carry out the fundamental task of educating people with morality, consolidate its efforts and energy, and make reforms and innovation.
The Vision of Leyu College
The word “Leyu” is derived from the ancient Chinese book Mencius, in which Mencius said, “A man of lofty character has three types of happyness, and he would prefer these to reigning over the world. Parents and brothers being all alive and healthy is the first happyness. Neither being ashamed under the heaven nor abashed in front of other people is the second one. Educating the outstanding figures from around the world is the third one.” Leyu fully embodies the vision of cultivating future great mentors in the college.
Leyu, is the ideal and life attitude of educators.
The objective of Leyu College
Aiming at training “Four Haves” good teachers in the new era and centering on the second classroom with residential college characteristics, Leyu College intends to implement a “four-dimensional tutoring system” including freshman tutors, academic mentors, counselors, and head teachers. It also will carry out a “3-in-1” educational model focusing on the improvement of professional literacy, enhancement of all-round abilities and cultivation of educational ideals to develop great mentors who can lead the teaching profession, remarkable teachers with highly professional character and craftsmanship spirit, and well-being teachers with elegance and a positive life attitude.
Education in Leyu College
As one of the first three residential colleges built at BNU Zhuhai, Leyu College is composed of state-funded students of teaching and bound student teachers of the “Zhiyuan Project.” It is not only a college with the largest number of students, but also one of the colleges with specific features that BNU strives to build.
Cultivate students to broaden their horizons through general education. Leyu College carries out professional education based on disciplines education provided by the College of Education for the Future, meanwhile, implement general education based on the residential community. To provide students with extensive reading experience beyond their majors, Leyu College introduces activities like “meeting friends through reading books,” and organizes a variety of other events and exchanges based on reading, so as to construct a solid foundation of knowledge for the development of students.
Construct “Tutor System” systematically to support students’ all-round development. At every turning point of students’ university life, a supporting system in the college tutoring framework will ensure professional support for students. “freshmen tutors” help students get through obstacles in the transition from senior high schools to university life; “Academic tutors,” starting from the second year, facilitate students in pursuing their professional development and manage their personal academic performance; Counselors and head teachers accompany them all the time, supporting them to prepare for future careers and transformation from student life to career life. Four years of consistent oral, behavior instruction and immersive education would inspire students’ interest and motivation in learning, and promote education through all staff.
To improve students' self-management ability by supporting them operating student’s associations. Following interest, exploration and communication principles, Leyu College guides students to carry out a wide variety of community practice and activities beyond their own interests, to make friends and experience the principles of operating collective activities. It strengthens the operation ability of student associations and encourages students to explore healthy, wise and pleasant lifestyles so that students are able to find beauty in daily life and separate meaning from triviality, living a wise life by balancing teaching and life.
To cultivate students’ core qualities facing the future by extending extracurricular practical programmes. Characterized by teacher education, Leyu College encourages students’ self-motivation by project-based learning, social practice, and international exchanges. It provides practice oriented education to ensure students can receive systematic teaching skills, which becomes an important supplementary session of the first classroom education. In addition to students’ professional courses, Leyu College aims to cultivate students’ professional leadership, craftsman spirit and taste of life through a series of well-designed activities and whole internship practice.
Leyu College, which inherits and carries forward more than a one-hundred-year heritage of BNU, is an important component of the teacher education in Beijing Normal University. It is also an important force to promote “three-Alls” education. It is hoped that the students of Leyu College will start their career from BNU Zhuhai, uphold the spirit of a normal university and educational ideals and thus, fulfill their missions.