Newtown High School’s Guest Teacher From China Is Providing ‘A Language & Cultural Resource’

Newtown High School Chinese language teacher Ding Hong was selected to host a native Mandarin-speaking teacher position for the 2009-10 school year as part of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program. Mr Ding has been teaching at the high school since the start of the current school year, and is also helping to prepare a number of faculty members for a teacher delegation to the high school’s sister school in China in the spring.

Mr Ding is among 93 recently arrived teachers with the program, bringing the total number of teachers currently placed at 30 elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States to 139.

Principal Charles Dumais and Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo welcomed Mr Ding on August 19. Mr Ding, who comes from the rapidly expanding city of Beijing, has become a member of the World Language Department. He has been teaching beginning levels of Mandarin Chinese to the Newtown students.

Prior to their selection, guest teachers underwent a rigorous screening process and were interviewed by a collaborative team from the College Board and National Council of State Supervisors for Languages. Before arriving in their local communities, guest teachers participated in predeparture orientation in Beijing and professional development training at Stanford University to prepare them for their teaching responsibilities in the United States.

In May 2009, Assistant Principal Hiruo participated in the National Chinese Language Conference to finalize Mr Ding’s placement in Newtown with the College Board. Coordination with the College Board and the Hanban/Confucius Institute resulted in Mr Ding’s final arrival to JFK airport in August.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is sponsored by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, in partnership with the College Board. Now in its fourth year, the Chinese Guest Teacher Program is the largest K–12 Chinese guest teacher program in the United States, and has over time brought more than 325 Chinese teachers to the US schools to teach language and culture.

Newtown High School is continuing its new Chinese Language Program as it supports the sister school partnership with a high school in Liaocheng. In addition, guest teachers assist with curriculum development, student recruitment, and materials development and serve as a cultural resource for other subject areas and for cultural enrichment activities.

This program is made possible through a partnership between the College Board and Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) in China.

The guest teacher can work at the school for one school year, and then renew for up to an additional two years if both the school and teacher are satisfied.

“We are very excited to have Mr Ding here at NHS,” said Mr Hirou. “He is a tremendous asset to our student experience as we prepare them for the 21st Century.

“Mr Ding will also serve as a language and cultural resource for our China 2010 Teacher Delegation going to Liaocheng in April. This delegation will extend our sister school partnership as our teachers step into Liaocheng classrooms to teach and share professional practices.”

College Board President Gaston Caperton is happy with the program’s progress.

“We are pleased to enable even more American students to learn the Chinese language, discover the vibrant culture of China, and participate more fully in the cultural exchange between our two countries,” he said.