THIS MONTH'S FEATURED EDUCATOR
“When They Speak, You hear It In Your Own Language”
Mr. Michael Donaldson
ZHL Consulting - "Your Partner in Student Achievement
ZHL Consulting is proud to celebrate Mr. Michael Donaldson as the March 2021, "Featured Educator".
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Michael is currently the Head of School at the Beanstalk International Bilingual School’s Upper East Side campus in Beijing and previously served as head of the Beanstalk International Education Group (BIEG) campus in Chengdu. Michael also serves as Vice President of BIEG, providing his significant and varied China experience to one of the leading international bilingual educational organizations in Asia.
Michael is appreciative of his 20 years of experience in China working with educators, but more importantly with students and parents in the Chinese context. He states:
“As I enter my 21st year in China, I often reflect on conversations I’ve had with Chinese parents and students and teachers over that time. Of course, from the very first moment, it was clear that Chinese parents wanted their children to BE the best, whether it be in their class, their school or their city. Competition being what it is in the world’s most populous country, Chinese students have always needed to be successful in order to qualify for the top schools and universities. Much of that success was achieved through scoring high on various exams along the pathway of their educational journey. What has changed over 20 years? Well, parents still want their children to be the best, and students are still focused on this as well, but more importantly parents generally agree that success and achievement should be in areas that their children have a passion for and that this now extends beyond the areas that were traditionally seen as most important roles in society. These parents dearly want to help their children be the best at the things they love to do. It’s now therefore our great responsibility as educators to help guide students to become great musicians, artists, teachers, scientists dancers, entrepreneurs and most importantly, leaders of their families and communities.”
Michael completed his teacher training in 1990 at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He followed that with 10 years of teaching and leadership in public schools in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was Michael’s work in 1998-2000 as a Principal in the E-bus Program, one of the very first virtual schools, that brought him to China and changed his career pathway. Michael’s greatest take away from that experience was to see parents as both partners in the education process but also to view families as clients and welcome members of the school community.
“The E-bus program was designed to help children and their families learn at home using the combined resources of teachers and technology. My involvement in this program helped me understand both the strengths and limitations of technology but more importantly to appreciate the importance of the relationship between a teacher and their students as well as the parent who supports each child’s learning at home. Working directly with parents and ensuring that they understand and support the mission of the school are vital roles to fulfill, and I take great pride in seeing that as my greatest responsibility as a school leader.”
After 30 years as a professional educator, Michael still feels the passion for educational leadership that he felt in his early days as a principal in Canada, and later on, China.
“I often reflect on the first time I visited China in 1999 as the turning point in my life, not just in my career. During a two week visit to China that year, I met with parents, students and educational leaders and it was made clear to me that Chinese people overall have a great respect for teachers and the value they hold in the greater society. That initial visit had an impact on me that made me want to return to China, and here I am 20 years later still leading and learning each and every day. While I am proud to be Canadian, I am also proud to be a Canadian in China, and a friend to Chinese people as we live and work together to meet the great and often unpredictable challenges we face each day. What an amazing and rewarding experience it is to be an educational leader during this critical period whereby China and Chinese people are becoming central to the future success and development of humanity. It’s also an awesome responsibility, and one that makes me feel that our daily work as educators is of critical importance.”
Michael Donaldson, ZHL Consulting recognizes and celebrates your excellent work, thank you.
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Michael is currently the Head of School at the Beanstalk International Bilingual School’s Upper East Side campus in Beijing and previously served as head of the Beanstalk International Education Group (BIEG) campus in Chengdu. Michael also serves as Vice President of BIEG, providing his significant and varied China experience to one of the leading international bilingual educational organizations in Asia.
Michael is appreciative of his 20 years of experience in China working with educators, but more importantly with students and parents in the Chinese context. He states:
“As I enter my 21st year in China, I often reflect on conversations I’ve had with Chinese parents and students and teachers over that time. Of course, from the very first moment, it was clear that Chinese parents wanted their children to BE the best, whether it be in their class, their school or their city. Competition being what it is in the world’s most populous country, Chinese students have always needed to be successful in order to qualify for the top schools and universities. Much of that success was achieved through scoring high on various exams along the pathway of their educational journey. What has changed over 20 years? Well, parents still want their children to be the best, and students are still focused on this as well, but more importantly parents generally agree that success and achievement should be in areas that their children have a passion for and that this now extends beyond the areas that were traditionally seen as most important roles in society. These parents dearly want to help their children be the best at the things they love to do. It’s now therefore our great responsibility as educators to help guide students to become great musicians, artists, teachers, scientists dancers, entrepreneurs and most importantly, leaders of their families and communities.”
Michael completed his teacher training in 1990 at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He followed that with 10 years of teaching and leadership in public schools in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was Michael’s work in 1998-2000 as a Principal in the E-bus Program, one of the very first virtual schools, that brought him to China and changed his career pathway. Michael’s greatest take away from that experience was to see parents as both partners in the education process but also to view families as clients and welcome members of the school community.
“The E-bus program was designed to help children and their families learn at home using the combined resources of teachers and technology. My involvement in this program helped me understand both the strengths and limitations of technology but more importantly to appreciate the importance of the relationship between a teacher and their students as well as the parent who supports each child’s learning at home. Working directly with parents and ensuring that they understand and support the mission of the school are vital roles to fulfill, and I take great pride in seeing that as my greatest responsibility as a school leader.”
After 30 years as a professional educator, Michael still feels the passion for educational leadership that he felt in his early days as a principal in Canada, and later on, China.
“I often reflect on the first time I visited China in 1999 as the turning point in my life, not just in my career. During a two week visit to China that year, I met with parents, students and educational leaders and it was made clear to me that Chinese people overall have a great respect for teachers and the value they hold in the greater society. That initial visit had an impact on me that made me want to return to China, and here I am 20 years later still leading and learning each and every day. While I am proud to be Canadian, I am also proud to be a Canadian in China, and a friend to Chinese people as we live and work together to meet the great and often unpredictable challenges we face each day. What an amazing and rewarding experience it is to be an educational leader during this critical period whereby China and Chinese people are becoming central to the future success and development of humanity. It’s also an awesome responsibility, and one that makes me feel that our daily work as educators is of critical importance.”
Michael Donaldson, ZHL Consulting recognizes and celebrates your excellent work, thank you.