School News Network–What fifth-grader Isabella Turner enjoys most about her Mandarin Chinese Immersion class is that her teacher, Yuqi Zhao, makes it a lot of fun. “She has fun projects that make Chinese enjoyable,” Isabella said, as she pointed to posters that students made to demonstrate their knowledge of the Chinese language. “I think the posters we did were the most fun thing. She also has fun games and puts us with friends and partners and gives us rewards when we do well.”
Zhao recently was recognized for her excellence in Chinese-language teaching and for building a bridge in language by being named one of the five finalists of the United States Heartland China Association’s Chinese Teacher Award.
Zhao was nominated for the honor by her former Principal Sue Gutierrez, who retired last year. Zhao then went through the application process to be considered for the award.
“The best thing about teaching Chinese — especially the students, I love fifth-graders — (is when) they have that connection, that ‘aha’ moment,” Zhao said. “They are making connections as a Chinese learner and they see it in their daily life, and they are making connections to English and that is the most interesting thing to see.”
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