I came into the program with many question marks. How effective will this program be? What kind of people will I work with? Why do people say Dr. Tseng is a TCSL/TSFL idol? On my flight back home after the program, I was filled with explanation marks which showed joy, satisfaction, and gratitude.
This was a challenging and productive program. Within these three weeks we had learned so much. The technology learning session (palmphone, toondoospaces, penpal, 一声通，一件通，一笔通。。。) from Zeng-laoshi and the logical thinking skills I learned from my peers helped me a lot. The first week of the program was designed like a tripod.
Have you ever been on the Hulk Ride at the Universal Studios? The three-week intensive STARTALK program at UVA was like the most epic roller coaster I could have ever experienced. It took me to the ultimate peak so I knew how much higher beyond my expectations I could achieve with my students, and it dropped me down to the bottom so I realized how much I needed to work on. The rigorous curriculum was designed to touch all the weak points that we, novice or experienced teachers, might have, and provide a direction for constructive and doable ways to improve.
I am so glad to have had this opportunity to attend the 2010 Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy program at the University of Virginia. Throughout the three weeks' teacher training and student practicum, a lot of teaching theories, guidelines, and National Standards had been reviewed and consolidated. Immediately followed one week of intensive teachers' program was the students' practicum. I applied all of the learned theories and guidelines into the practicum section. The students' performance gave me the direct feedback I needed to cross-check the theories I learned.
