Teachers at Home, Teachers at Heart

As teachers, we rely on positive reinforcement, an emphasis on creativity and our small class size. We are careful to respect our diverse students and to celebrate both individual and cultural differences.

Montessori Method

The Montessori method is an important inspiration for us as teachers. We emphasize a prepared environment, a mixed-age classroom, hands-on learning and uninterrupted blocks of free study. We track student interests and progress over time, model proper behavior and grace, and teach self-control rather than a dependence on external discipline.

Language Development

Lion’s Pride focuses extensively on language development. Students and staff use English and Chinese both in class and in their daily work, creating an immersive language environment. Native-language instructors teach Chinese and English classes.

Student-Teacher Ratio

With two teachers and no more than 10 children, we use a low teacher-student ratio to tailor each class to the needs of the students and to increase classroom safety.

Tailored Curriculum

Our custom-made SCALE curriculum ensures a balanced education and well-rounded children. SCALE covers 6 core areas of excellence: Sciences, Culture, Arts, Languages and Ethics.

Our subject matter is age-appropriate — while our younger children are learning basic words like “the sun,” older students are exploring the life cycle of a star.

Teaching Methods

The main teaching methods include structured game play, music and dance, independent study, group story time and play-based activities. We avoid group recitation and formal lecturing methods. Children are not assigned homework.

Mixed-age Students

A mixed-age student group mirrors the natural learning method of children, which includes learning from teachers, from parents and from their brothers and sisters. Younger students look up to, learn from and aspire to be like their older classmates. Older students engage in classroom leadership and earn the confidence that comes from demonstrating subject mastery, teaching what they know and being the object of affection and admiration.

Our Loving Teachers

David Powell

Co-founder & Teacher

David has worked in early childhood education for more than a decade. He co-founded what has become a chain of kindergartens in China, helping thousands of children turn into the best possible versions of themselves.

Teaching Background

His favorite part of teaching children at this age is that they truly love to learn and to share their joy with others. David has a high tolerance for repetition, which comes in very handy because kids love to learn through mimicry. Patience is also key, according to David, because children need time to internalize new words, concepts and behaviors.
As a teacher, David’s favorite activities tend to be story time and one-on-one conversations during individual work time. “Story time is fun because I’m a lifelong reader and I enjoy sharing my passion with our children,” said David. “And I love individual conversations with kids during our individual work time because each child is unique and they deserve to be seen and heard on their own terms.”

General Background

David worked in early childhood education in Xiamen, China, for more than a decade before moving back to his hometown of St. Louis to raise his daughter with his lovely wife.

Fei Peng

Co-founder & Teacher

Fei first started teaching in kindergarten in 2016. Her specialty is the use of music to teach and inspire her children. She is also the proud mother of a lovely daughter who she describes as the light of her life.
“I love being a teacher because I can see the world through the eyes of our children,” she said. “Even as they are learning from me, I’m learning about our world through them,” she added. “Our children give me the gift of happiness every day.”

Teaching Background

In class her favorite activities are “dancing, music and telling stories,” she said. “Music is a part of my heart and soul and I love to share my passion with them,” said Fei. “Dancing helps our children coordinate their bodies and their brains, it brings together or physical and emotional selves.”

General Background

Fei was raised in Hunan, China. She moved to Xiamen, China, for her career, meeting David along the way. Fei juggled her roles as a teacher and musician for more than five years before becoming pregnant with her daughter.
She describes her child as her inspiration for all that she does. She enjoys sharing the knowledge she has learned from her daughter and prior classrooms with her current students.

Our Mission as Teachers

We are deeply committed to helping our children learn all that they can by focusing on the language and ideas that are interesting and appropriate to their intellectual level. Our teachers strive to create an environment that will inspire, stimulate and excite them about learning.

Communication Skills

We spend a significant amount of time on language learning. The ability to communicate is an invaluable skill that our children will use throughout life. Our teachers emphasizes language taught through a series of academic themes that are interesting to children. , We use engaging topics as a gateway to help kids focus on both the content and the vocabulary. We use their natural interests to motivate them to learn.

Mental Flexibility

We also work hard to teach our children how to switch between different systems of thought. Whether that means moving from math to art or from individual to group work, we practice shifting back and forth between different ways of thinking and ways of seeing this world. This kind of mental flexibility or plasticity is crucial for a child’s development and for success in life. A person who is comfortable with both science and art, who is comfortable working alone and with others, is far better equipped to show the kind of flexibility and adaptability essential for personal and professional success and happiness.

Teachers and Guides

The teaching methods and techniques that we use are a vital part of our educational program. We act as both guides and as teachers. We closely observe our students and provide them with material that is interesting to each specific child.
If one child is particularly interested in language while another is more focused on math, we offer different materials or work to each student to suits their current interests. Over time, we guide each student to have a balanced education while allowing the student to direct the order and pacing of her or his education.

Engaging Activities

Our teachers center our classes around games, music, dance, craftwork and reading or play-acting stories. Our activities are hands-on and interactive. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a worksheet, younger kids learn best when they are engaged body and mind. To learn by doing is far more meaningful than rote repetition.
Most of all we want children to develop a lifelong love of learning, where they are excited by challenges, inspired by new ideas, and eager to try new things.

Learn more about our activities in our curriculum overview.