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Mission Statement

The Mandarin Teachers Institute is dedicated to empowering Mandarin educators worldwide by providing high-quality professional development, fostering collaboration, and sharing innovative best practices.

Through online professional learning workshops, personalized mentoring, and international conferences, we equip teachers with the tools and strategies they need to excel in the language learning classroom.

Our mission is to create a global community of Mandarin educators who are inspired, supported, and prepared to nurture the next generation of Mandarin learners. Together, we strive to advance the teaching and learning of Mandarin, ensuring cultural and linguistic proficiency for all.

Ignite your passion for teaching Chinese: Join our dynamic events, global connections, and endless inspiration with our teacher community!

Meet the Team

  • Shaz Lawrence

    FOUNDER

  • Marnie Foster

    AUSTRALIA

  • Paola Mattioli

    ITALY

  • Bei Li

    TAIWAN

  • Di Yin

    USA

  • PeiPei Zhang

    USA

Our Founder

Shaz Lawrence

Shaz Lawrence is an experienced Chinese Language teacher trainer and consultant. She has a Bachelor of Education, Masters in Linguistics, and is a Montessori Certified educator. Shaz studied Chinese at Taiwan Normal University, Beijing University, and Nanjing Teacher’s College. She has taught Chinese to all age levels in Australia and the US. She was also a consultant for the launching of Sesame Street’s ‘Fun, Fun Elmo’. (a Chinese learning program for early childhood)

Shaz has been keynote speaker at international conferences and she currently provides training and consultancy to schools in the US, UK, China, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong. She has also worked with the Confucius Institute, training teachers of Chinese in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

In 2009, Shaz launched the website - Creative Chinese which has grown to be the most popular resource for teachers of Chinese globally.

In 2015 Shaz founded Mandarin Superstars which offers children an innovative Music, Movement and Mandarin program in Queens, New York.

2023 Creative Chinese Events was launched with a mission is to build a community of dynamic teachers of Chinese, commencing with an inaugural conference in March 2024.

Shaz’s work includes:

  • Teacher training courses internationally

  • Customized professional development programs for schools

  • Curriculum design and development

  • Review and Assessment plus Needs Analysis

  • Educational leadership coaching

  • Marketing of Chinese language programs

  • Modeling good practices in the classroom

  • Distance Learning (Mandarin)

  • Consultant to Chinese online startups

International schools/school districts Shaz has partnered with for professional learning training:

  • Presidio Knolls School, San Francisco, California

  • St. George’s College, Edinburgh, Scotland

  • Dulwich College PuDong, Shanghai, China

  • Catholic Education Office, South Australia

  • Cardiff Confucius Institute, Wales, UK

  • Edinburgh Confucius Institute, Scotland, UK

  • San Mateo/Foster City School District, California

  • St. Michael’s College, Australia

  • Mandarin Seeds, New York City, NY

  • San Francisco Archdiocese, California

  • University Settlement Teaching Training, New York City, NY

  • IOE Teacher Education College, London, UK

  • Goldsmiths University of London, UK

  • Sesame Street ‘Fun, Fun Elmo’, New York, NY

  • St. Brendan’s School, San Francisco, CA