Professional Development

Each year, Asia Society offers teachers and school leaders in the Confucius Classrooms Network opportunities for learning and professional development to enhance their understanding and knowledge of Chinese language and culture so that they can better serve their community of learners, and continue to be models for others in the field.

We recognize that effective and innovative teaching methodologies are essential to a teacher’s professional development, but it is just as important for teachers to be up-to-date on their knowledge about various aspects of China, including both historical and modern developments.

Thus, we designed our professional development offerings with these goals in mind. These professional development opportunities include our annual Teachers, annual China Studies and the Teaching Fellows Program.

Teaching Fellows Program

In addition to providing practical training for in-class development, Asia Society sees the need to develop a new generation of leaders in the Chinese education field. Through our Teaching Fellows program, we aim to cultivate master teachers who can become mentors and exemplars to those new to the field. Each year, Asia Society selects 5-10 Chinese teachers to work closely with a mentor to develop high-quality lesson plans, culminating in a short film that chronicles the entire process, including in-class delivery of the lesson and post-lesson analysis and feedback from experts. These videos, known as the TEQ Series, are made available for all teachers to learn from. Teachers who successfully complete this process are then trained in additional skills necessary to become leaders and mentors, including theoretical foundations, presenting at conferences, and conducting professional development workshops. 

Learn more about the Teaching Fellows Program and TEQ Series.

Teachers Institute

The Teachers Institute is a two-and-a-half-day professional development opportunity consisting of seminars, workshops, and school visits. Chinese language teachers from across Asia Society's Confucius Classrooms Network convene to share resources and best practices in teaching methodologies and define the criteria for effective and innovative Chinese language teaching. Through this professional development, participants learn to identify successful teaching strategies and elements in their own and peer lessons. They also have the opportunity to design a series of individual lessons that exemplify the criteria for excellent teaching.

View videos and photos from previous Teachers Institutes.

Leaders Summit

The Leaders Summit is held biennially in China for school leaders to help them build more meaningful programs and sustainable connections with partner schools in China. The summit includes visits to schools and other educational institutions and dialogues with education leaders, including principals, teachers, students and government officials. In addition, school leaders also get an introduction China's vibrant and dynamic social and cultural life.

View videos and photos from previous Leaders Summits.

China Studies Seminar

The China Studies seminar brings together two teachers from each school: a Chinese language teacher and a teacher of another subject in an effort to foster collaboration between subject areas, enrich content, and integrate relevant and timely Chinese elements into more classes. The week-long seminar consists of expert speakers on a timely, China-related theme, as well as practical workshops on incorporating China into existing curriculum in an engaging way. At the conclusion of the workshop, teachers design a roadmap to implement plans in their classrooms.

View videos and photos, and downloadable lesson plans from previous China Studies Seminar.