The Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia successfully held its first Work Conference for the new semester / 拉脱维亚大学孔子学院成功举行新学年首次全体教师工作会议
The Confucius Institute at Latvia University held its first-ever online meeting for all teachers of the 2024-2025 academic year on September 18, 2024 (3:00 p.m. Riga time, 8:00 p.m. Beijing time). Present were the Chinese Director of the Institute, He Dong, Administrative Secretary Anastasija Galkina, Assistant Director Xu Shen, and Guo Mengran, along with the entire faculty. Led by Xu Shen, the meeting began with preparations for regular work and new teacher training at the start of the new semester.
The session was divided into three parts. First, new teacher training was conducted by experienced teachers Xu Shen and Guo Mengran. Xu shared teaching techniques for the first class, emphasizing self-introduction to make students remember the teacher, asking questions to gauge their learning abilities, clearly explaining classroom rules, reward, and punishment systems. He suggested incorporating simple expressions like ‘bye-bye’ to engage students from the first lesson. Guo Mengran focused on online teaching, sharing insights on software, online skills, and unique features of virtual classrooms. He encouraged teachers to stay updated with current events and use culturally relevant phrases to captivate students’ attention.
Another key aspect was incorporating interactive games in the classroom, such as using Kahoot for online quizzes. For classroom management, he recommended using platforms like Questionnaire Star for attendance tracking and assessment. Overall, the meeting aimed to set the tone for the academic year, ensuring effective teaching methods and student engagement.
The second part was an overview of daily routines and guidelines. Secretary Anastasija Galkina introduced herself, detailing her educational and professional background.
In the third segment, there was a summary and Q&A session. Volunteer Chinese teacher Li Qian raised some questions about the online cooperative classroom, which were addressed by Director He. He emphasized that Chinese teachers should engage more with local educators to understand the specifics of the classroom. He offered numerous suggestions for new teachers, highlighting the importance of thorough preparation, starting with detailed lesson plans that require precision and dedication. It was advised to introduce knowledge gradually, considering students’ absorption capacity, and prepare for potential contingencies during class, such as arriving early to troubleshoot technical issues. Tailoring lessons to students’ interests through pre-surveys on age and hobbies is recommended. Incorporating games, humor, and jokes can enhance engagement. Teachers can learn teaching techniques through online resources. Post-class, self-reflection and maintaining a teaching journal are encouraged for continuous improvement. New teachers must adapt quickly to their roles as educators. Lastly, Director He expressed hope for increased online-offline interactions among teachers to become proficient international Chinese teachers sooner.
A screenshot group photo concluded the session, marking its successful conclusion. The international Chinese teachers are set to commence their academic year’s teaching, contributing to the linguistic and cultural exchange between China and Latvia fostering friendship between our nations.
【拉大孔院讯 通讯员 李芊 图片 郭萌冉】2024年9月18日（里加时间3：00p.m.，北京时间8:00p.m.），拉脱维亚大学孔子学院举行了2024-2025学年第一次全体教师工作线上会议。孔子学院中方院长何东、行政秘书高安娜、院长助理徐申与郭萌冉，及学院全体教师参加会议，会议由徐申主持。在新学期开学之际，学院召开全体教师工作会议，部署常规工作，并对新教师进行了培训。
会议包括三部分。首先是新教师培训。培训由经验丰富的公派教师徐申及郭萌冉主讲。徐申分享了第一堂课的教学技巧，包括教师如何在第一堂课上自我介绍，让学生记住教师。同时教师以此契机向学生提问，了解学生的学能；另外，在第一堂课上，教师需要向学生讲清课堂规则、奖励及惩罚机制；徐申教师提到，第一节课可以适量向学生讲解如“再见”等简单表达，引起学生兴趣，让学生在第一堂课能够“学到东西”。郭萌冉侧重线上教学经验的培训。他从线上软件、线上技能和线上课堂特点等几个方面进行分享，提醒教师们多关注新闻和当下网络上受较高关注的时事，在课堂上适宜地与学生分享，能够更好地抓住学生的注意力。亦或是用一些“long time no see”等具有中国特色的语言点来引起学生兴趣。其次，课堂小游戏也是提高学生学习兴趣的重要手段。教师可以借助kahoot等游戏网站来设计如转盘等能够在线上课堂应用的小游戏。另外，在课堂管理上，郭萌冉教师提到，教师们可以借助问卷星等软件来监测学生的考勤，也可以借此软件进行作业的测验。在奖励机制上，可以采用积分累加等方式，并且要采用实体和虚体结合的方法。
第二部分是日常工作及注意事项。高安娜秘书向大家作了自我介绍，包括求学经历和工作经历。
第三部分是总结与问答。汉语教师志愿者李芊对线上合作课堂提出了一些疑问，何院长对此作出了解答，并强调中方教师应该多与本土教师进行交流沟通，了解更多课堂细则。何院长对新手教师提出许多建议。新手教师备课十分重要，教师前期可以备详案，须精细、认真。课堂上教授的知识也要由少到多，循序渐进，一开始不要讲授太多，应考虑学生的吸收消化能力。其次，课堂上可能临时出现的突发状况，教师也应提前准备预案，想好应对办法。例如，提前到教室或进会议，及时调试网络和设备。再次，教师要考虑教学对象的不同，以学生的兴趣为取向进行备课和授课。可提前发问卷了解学生的年龄和兴趣爱好等，有针对地实施教学。采用游戏、笑话、幽默等方法活跃气氛，吸引学生。这方面的教学技巧教师可以通过网上各渠道进行自主学习。课后,教师要及时进行教学反思，填写教学日志，提高教学能力，逐步成长。新手教师应迅速适应由学生到教师的身份转换。最后，院长希望教师们多进行线上线下的交流和研讨,早日成长为一名合格的国际中文教师。
会上还以截屏方式进行合影留念。会议圆满成功。国际中文教师将顺利展开本学年的中文教学，为中拉语言文化交流和中拉两国人民的友谊作出应有的贡献。
【编辑 Editor: 李芊 / 图片 Picture provider: 郭萌冉】
