To further advance teaching practice, sharpen the instructional skills of student teachers participating in Xinjiang assistance programs, and promote professional exchange and shared growth among educators, an open-class teaching activity for intern teachers was recently held at Maigaiti No. 3 Middle School. Six members of the eighth cohort of the Xinjiang-support teaching internship program from Qilu Normal University presented six high-quality English lessons characterized by clear focus and distinctive styles. With solid professional foundations and innovative instructional designs, they brought fresh vitality to the school’s “Themed Teaching and Research Month” and military-civilian exchange activities.

Precisely Targeting Learner Needs, Showcasing Diverse Classroom Approaches

During the open-class activity, the six intern teachers designed targeted and dynamic English lessons based on students’ grade levels and instructional objectives. Teachers Xiao Can and Shan Hanxi, who taught Grade 7, closely followed the core content of the PEP English textbooks. Grounded in local students’ cognitive characteristics and language foundations in Xinjiang, they incorporated club-themed texts and designed situational dialogues and engaging interactive games. These activities helped students consolidate vocabulary and sentence patterns in a relaxed atmosphere, effectively stimulating younger learners’ interest in English.

Teachers Chen Zihan, Wang Ruohan, Wu Wenyan, and Yang Yuerong, who taught Grade 8, adopted an innovative differentiated-instruction approach. Tailored learning tasks and guidance plans were designed to address students’ varying proficiency levels. Focusing on key grammar points and challenging long-form reading passages, the teachers employed task-based learning, mind-map organization, and thematic inquiry-based instruction. These methods not only strengthened students’ language foundations but also enhanced their reading comprehension, logical thinking, and oral expression skills, effectively achieving the goal of “teaching in accordance with students’ aptitudes and promoting overall improvement.”

In-Depth Post-Class Reflection, Targeted Feedback for Improvement

Following the open classes, all members of the school’s English teaching and research group, together with the internship team leaders, convened a special review meeting to conduct comprehensive and detailed evaluations of the six lessons. The reviewers unanimously affirmed the intern teachers’ innovative instructional awareness, enthusiastic teaching attitudes, and solid professional competence. They noted that the lesson designs were well-structured with smooth transitions, fully reflecting a student-centered teaching philosophy.

Meanwhile, the panel offered constructive suggestions for further improvement. In terms of instructional pacing, teachers were encouraged to refine time allocation across teaching stages by designing scaffolded questions and timely summaries, avoiding rushed endings and enabling students to deepen understanding in a balanced rhythm. Regarding learner analysis, the reviewers emphasized closer observation of students’ cognitive foundations and real-time classroom feedback, flexible adjustment of questioning strategies and example difficulty, and the integration of more formative assessments to better align instruction with students’ actual learning outcomes.

Promoting Research Through Teaching, Empowering Border Education Through Service

This open-class showcase and collective teaching reflection not only provided a valuable platform for intern teachers to demonstrate their instructional abilities and refine their professional skills, but also fostered mutual learning and collective growth through the model of “classroom practice plus post-class discussion.” Members of the Xinjiang-support internship program from Qilu Normal University expressed their commitment to carefully incorporating the feedback received and continuously improving their teaching methods and professional competence.

Looking ahead, the internship team will continue to work diligently on the front lines of education in Xinjiang, contributing high-quality instruction to enhance students’ English proficiency and injecting sustained vitality into the development of education in border regions.