| The Seattle schools have a new "guest" teacher. | | | | three reasons - to improve her own English skills, |
| Zhu Dan arrived in the Seattle schools in January | | | | to help Americans understand more about China |
| and will stay for an 18-month guest teacher | | | | and its culture, and to help get the program |
| program. Dan, who teaches college-level English in | | | | started within the Seattle schools. She wants to |
| her native Kunming, China, has the option to | | | | leave her students with enough knowledge of the |
| extend her stay for another year. | | | | Mandarin language to survive a trip to her country. |
| Dan is one of 34 guest teachers in 19 states that | | | | Before traveling to the United States and the |
| are participating in a new partnership between | | | | Seattle schools, Dan had to take a two-week |
| China's institute Hanban and the College Board, a | | | | crash course in Beijing. It covered our culture and |
| nonprofit organization that administers the | | | | education system, our money system, and how |
| Advanced Placement exams and SAT testing). | | | | to write a check (something seldom done in |
| Plans are for an additional 100 guest teachers | | | | China). |
| across the United States by this summer and 250 | | | | Many of her Seattle schools students took her |
| by 2009. The partnership is part of China's | | | | course, because it sounded interesting. Others |
| large-scale effort to promote the Mandarin | | | | have friends or family members who speak |
| language and getting people in other countries to | | | | Mandarin. Within her first two weeks of |
| learn it. | | | | instruction, Dan's Seattle schools students could |
| This is the perfect program for many Pacific | | | | count to ten in Mandarin, pronounce the Chinese |
| Coast states that do a lot of business with China. | | | | names she gave them, work through the |
| Chief Sealth High School principal John Boyd | | | | pronunciation drills and vocabulary exercises given |
| traveled to China as part of a Hanban program | | | | them, and sing a song about the Chinese New |
| and was inspired to offer a course in Mandarin to | | | | Year to the song "My Darlin' Clementine". |
| his Seattle schools students. He and Noah | | | | Additionally, Dan shares her Chinese culture with |
| Zeichner, who heads up the high school world | | | | the students, making her classes even more |
| language program, wanted to expand the | | | | interesting. |
| international focus in his Seattle school. They | | | | Besides the guest teacher program, many Seattle |
| already have a student exchange program from | | | | schools now are offering instruction in Mandarin, |
| Chongqing, China. | | | | as well as Advanced Placement courses in |
| Zhu Dan teaches the Mandarin language in three | | | | Chinese and the AP testing that earns college |
| Seattle schools - Denny Middle, Madison Middle, | | | | credit for the Seattle schools students who pass. |
| and Chief Sealth High Schools. While the institute | | | | For this year, Dan's Mandarin class at Sealth High |
| Hanban pays her a stipend, the Seattle schools | | | | School meets after school. It will be part of the |
| provide housing, airfare and cover other fees. Dan | | | | normal, daytime curriculum in the fall. Principal |
| is residing with Sealth teacher Frank Cantwell and | | | | Boyd is encouraging elementary schools within his |
| his family. | | | | area of the Seattle schools to apply together for |
| Dan applied for the guest teacher program for | | | | a second guest teacher for the Mandarin language. |