Lessons from Sesame Street at HKIS
Read Teresa Tung, Learning and Teaching Leader at HKIS’s full post on LinkedIn by accessing this link.
What might Sesame Street teach us about fostering belonging, meaningful learning, and academic excellence in international schools?
Drawing on my work as a Senior Content Advisor and researcher with Sesame Street, I was delighted to deliver the opening keynote at Hong Kong International School's professional learning conference, Designing Engaged Learning: Every Learner Matters.
Using Sesame Street as a metaphor for the communities we create in schools, I invited educators to examine how adults establish the conditions that influence students' experiences of belonging, learning, and development. Central to our exploration was the individual and collective responsibility of adults to foster school environments grounded in dignity and respect, where belonging provides a foundation for well-being, meaningful learning, and academic excellence.
Building on the keynote, I facilitated three interactive workshops examining educator identity and positionality, how our cultural perspectives inform teaching and relationships, and practical strategies for addressing identity-informed unkindness across developmental stages. These conversations reinforced the importance of intercultural competency in fostering safe and inclusive classrooms where every student has the opportunity to flourish.
Having partnered with HKIS over the past four years, I particularly appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with educators and contribute to the school's ongoing commitment to strengthening belonging across its community. The thoughtful engagement, critical reflection, and willingness to examine complex questions reflected the depth of this continuing work.
My sincere appreciation to Teresa Tung and the Hong Kong International School team for their thoughtful organization and collaboration, and to the faculty for their engagement throughout the conference.