On March 25, 2025, the Confucius Institute at T.A. Marryshow Community College successfully held the Second International Chinese Language Teaching Skills Competition. This year’s competition was centered around Lesson 17, He Works at a Hospital, from Happy Chinese (Book 1) as the unified teaching theme, attracting enthusiastic participation from all faculty members. The competition adopted a hybrid format, with teachers from the Confucius Institute at Tanteen Campus of TAMCC competing in person, while the other two teachers at St. Patrick and Grenville participated by submitting teaching videos, enabling a “cloud-based competition.”
The competition consisted of two main segments: lesson plan design and live teaching demonstrations. It primarily assessed participants’ ability to set clear teaching objectives, organize engaging lessons, and implement innovative teaching methods. The judging panel, comprising Mrs. Norella Philip, Mr. Aaron Gay, and Ms. Li Hui, conducted a comprehensive evaluation based on rigorous scoring criteria, considering the accuracy of teaching content, creativity in teaching methods, and effectiveness of classroom interaction.
Throughout the competition, teachers demonstrated their pedagogical expertise by carefully designing lesson plans and employing innovative teaching strategies to create more student-centered learning experiences. Particularly, remote participants showcased their exceptional teaching skills through online submissions, reflecting the Confucius Institute’s active exploration of digital and network-based teaching approaches. This format successfully transcended geographical limitations and facilitated the sharing and exchange of educational resources.
After a fierce contest, Ms. Wang Ruojing won the Grand Prize. Ms. Zhang Xiaoying and Mr. Huang Chen received First Prizes, while Ms. Niu Wanlin, Mr. Yuan Bo, and Mr. Yao Xiong were awarded Second Prizes.
Summarizing the event, Ms. Li Hui stated, “This competition was not only a showcase of teaching skills but also a collaborative effort in educational innovation. Our teachers integrated technology, culture, and emotion into their lessons, truly achieving teaching with warmth and learning with depth.”
At the award ceremony, the resident Director Jiang Fan announced the winners. Judging panel representatives Mr. Aaron Gay and Mrs. Norella Philip presented awards to the outstanding teachers. Finally, Director Jiang presented the 2024 Confucius Institute Contribution Award certificates to Confucius Institute teachers and co-directors in recognition of their dedicated efforts.
Looking ahead, the Confucius Institute will continue to support teachers’ professional development through diverse activities and platforms, fostering mutual learning and collaboration among educators. By integrating competitions into teaching, the institute aims to provide Chinese language learners with an enhanced and high-quality learning experience.