I am thrilled that many of you have chosen to place your child in the Dual Immersion Program! It is a wonderful and exciting program, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it all. Each year, I am blown away by the growth and progress of each child in learning such a difficult language. This is truly the most optimal time to start learning, and I feel so blessed to be part of getting them started on a path of lifetime learning.
I spent 18 months in Taiwan learning Mandarin from 2003-2005. When I returned I jumped right back into school and I did both my undergraduate and graduate work at Utah State. Go Aggies! I graduated with my ME.d in 2008 in language instruction. After graduation, I taught fourth grade for four years. I started thinking about combining my love for teaching and Chinese and decided to pursue an opportunity with dual immersion.
In 2012, I was given an opportunity through the American Council on Education to go back to Changchun, China to study and increase my language skills. When I returned home I found my current position as the 1st grade Immersion teacher at Spring Lane. This summer I was awarded a Fullbright scholarship to go to Beijing, China to study and work with other Chinese educators from the U.S. to develop our skills in teaching Mandarin, Chinese. I am excited to use the knowledge and skills learned from this summer to make this a year full of learning and fun.
If you have any questions, concerns, or news to share, please contact me any time. I don't like waiting for parent teacher conferences to address any concerns. Your child's well being and safety are my first priority.
I am only part of the equation for their success. Many parents that don't speak Chinese are concerned about being able to help their child on this learning journey. Please know that if you spend time each day with the materials that I provide, you will learn more yourself than you expect. This is the best way to ensure your child gets the most out of their introduction to Chinese.
My main objective this year is for each child to feel physically and emotionally safe, and to leave my classroom with a love for Chinese!