Learning happens in grappling with the content, the questions which are going to arise, identifying the confusions, what is difficult, what is the complex here, sometimes the learning is in the conversation. This UVA StarTalk teacher’s academy provides tons of opportunities for these learnings to happen. All the teaching fellows feel they are a part of the “conversation.” This program really focused on the learning of the instructors. It helps us become co-creators of the curriculum, not simply searching for a way to deliver a lesson. This program promotes discussions, dialogues, and interactions between peer-teachers. I have to admit this UVA startalk is the BEST program in the field of Chinese language teaching in the US! 

From teaching methodologies taught by Professor Tseng, the planning sequence of the tasks, the necessity of task repetitions, the practical workshops on specific technology tools, how to bring in a topic, the importance and how to put learners in real-life scenarios, how to use authentic materials, how to ask questions skillfully, how to push students to produce at sentential levels, how to gamify the vocabulary learning process, to the demo lesson critiques and self-reflections, this program is so seamlessly planned that all the learnings are engraved deeply in our heart. So many Aha moments happened here.

This program allows us to step forward with our own understanding and insights. Through mentors’ hands-on instructions, peer critiques, self-reflections, this process allows us to focus on the essentials, reframe our own teaching. I highly recommend this amazing UVA StarTalk program to all educators across the US.