Check lingt.com for current teachers' account costs. Students do not need to pay

Advantages:
1. Students don't need to create an account, just use a web browser or phone app enter the teachers's homework site, and choose a certain class.
2. Students and teachers don't need any additional audio or video apps.
3. Check and display all students' homework in one view
4. Accurate time of submission.
5. Students can access and make up for past homework at any time (available even when the due date has passed)
6. NO COST for students

Two functions for teachers used to work, but stopped working for 2-3 years now: (BUMMER!)
1. Leave audio or written feedback, and send it to students' email directly
2. Click and play the teacher's recording on the class submission site 

Consider not spending class time in English going over classes or grading policies, or classroom rules. These can wait or be broken into parts for subsequent classes. It should be kept very short. Tip: Introduce yourself in Chinese while using slides in English for beginning/lower levels.  For higher levels use Chinese for introductions and any desired slides. Keep content understandible. check 5 other fun ideas here:

1. For Chinese 1: send class policy and "What is Mandarin" Q&A packet to new students and parents by email a week before school starts. Request Students to go over the content and get ready for a Kathoot Game about the content. Sending A few fun videos in the email will help students feel prepared for the first class. In class, use the First 4-week slides,  Teach and speak Chinese from the first class! 

2. For Chinese 1-4/5: Take 10 min. during the first or second class in the first week to have students complete a few Padlet.com activities. Padlet is a great online Ed-tool for brainstorming, group input, sharing ideas anonymously, or conducting surveys. It can be used for both big and small projects in or outside of the classroom.

3. For Chinese 2-4/5: Review or Teach a song, print out worksheets, and have students learn new songs or review songs from the previous year. This is our youtube playlist of Chinese Pop Songs

4. Play physical flashcard games or Quizlet Live or Kahoot. e.g. This Adjective Review Pair Interview Sheet for levels 2 and for level 3 is a fun activity for the first class back to school. 

5. Show an authentic short mini-film, and review what has been taught. This is a great way for a stressless and casual review activity to warm up. Refer to Mandarinandbeyond youtube playlist movies and short films (电影/微电影）

This playlist contains fun video collections on the Chinese language and culture. Students and teachers can use brain breaks to relax or laugh between heavy studying. All the videos are mostly short, between 2-4 minutes. They are carefully selected and appropriate for educational purposes.

Establishing and running a lively and robust Chinese program is not easy. 

Here is some information for both students and parents explaining why Mandarin is not hard, and why it is fun and interesting to learn. To promote the program, teachers should document their previous students' learning experiences. This video, made by one of my students, showcases a Mandarin class experience. More videos promoting the Chinese Program are on this youtube playlist. A PDF version of the packet is here; you can request an editable packet for $3.

Additional teaching and learning ideas and tips are listed under Method

https://www.youtube.com/@mandarinandbeyond 

The Mandarin and Beyond Youtube channel was created to support Mandarin Chinese language learners, teachers, and Chinese culture lovers! There are over one hundred playlists by topic or language themes, with carefully selected videos that are most effective for classroom teaching or learning Mandarin by yourself. Check it out!

This playlist is new, but check in frequently as more videos will be added on an ongoing basis.