The STARTALK Chinese teacher academy took me for a spin in the world of the finest educational practices for teaching Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. Every day and night was packed with content. For me, the highlight of the program was to observe other teachers teaching. Many experienced teachers had unique techniques and styles to engage with students, and everyone tried to apply what we had just learned in the program lectures to our practicum sessions. The most effective aspect of the program was the combination of theories and the number of opportunities to apply them. Through the lectures and practicum, I gained knowledge, confidence, and direction. The most inspiring aspect of the program was the teachers, including professor Tseng; I admired their passion, dedication, and resourcefulness. I was most impressed with the organization of the program; the lectures were well-selected and well-delivered, the three practicum sessions gave the right amount of practice, the teaching rehearsal and critique added another level of learning through practice, and the timely one-on-one critique after the actual teaching provided candid guidance and necessary support. Overall, it was a high-quality program. I would definitely recommend the STARTALK program to others.