"The 2014 Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy (VSCTA) has been the most successful teacherdevelopment
program I have attended so far. The program has not only taught me important pedagogy theories,
but more importantly has also given me the chance to polish my teaching skills."

Reflections: 

The 2014 Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy (VSCTA) has been the most successful teacherdevelopment program I have attended so far. The program has not only taught me important pedagogy theories, but more importantly has also given me the chance to polish my teaching skills. First of all, the program is well-organized thanks to a highly efficient system. Topics are carefully selected to form a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum. Teachers also benefit from the program since our lessons are evaluated by all participating teachers and would receive constructive suggestions at the end of each day. My teaching style has changed for the better as the program has helped me understand pedagogy theories better, and interaction with other teachers has introduced me to brand new ideas and resources. I will be employing more authentic materials in my Chinese classes to create a learning environment closer to the target language’s society.