Teaching philosophy

JoJo Lu

Guiding students to another access to the world has always been my goal of Chinese
language teaching. I believe that a foreign language is best used as a tool for students to
explore and step to the world outside.
I believe learning occurs in a student-centered, cultural immersed and positive
environment where mistakes are allowed and expected. And my role, as a foreign
language teacher, is to provide students another world and assist them to use the target
language as a tool for communication and appreciation.
Providing a comprehensible immersion environment is my soul of language teaching.
My understanding of an immersion environment contains various types of input for
secondary students to explore the world of Chinese. Cartoons, storybooks, Skyping with
Chinese students as well as many other authentic and cultural materials are widely used
in my classroom.
Positive learning is another core of my teaching philosophy. I believe that language
proficiency and literature can be assessed in multiple ways and students are best
performed when they are doing what they are confident to do. I have storage of students
creative projects such as a videotaped mini math-class, a hand-made Qipao with cultural
elements, a well-designed digital animation, etc. Students creativity and specialty are
appreciated in my class and thus students self-confidence is easier to be built.