A survey of American paired teachers in dual language Chinese immersion programs

One Mandarin immersion programming model involves a pair of partner teachers switching cohorts of students. Many programs meet their staffing needs with international teachers that remain with the school district for 1–3 years. Due to transient staffing, many partner teachers find themselves as mentors to their immersion teachers and maintain the program's institutional knowledge. A national survey of 106 American teachers examined their attitudes regarding collaboration with their Chinese teacher, identification as a mentor, perceived administrative support, and school climate. Many participants worked in public elementary one‐way immersion programs classified as schools within a school; about 20% worked in full immersion schools. The partner teachers agreed that they felt connected to and supported by other staff in their building, and reported positive structures in place for student success. Respondents signaled a need for more professional development on immersion education, Chinese culture, and the partner teacher role. Some indicated administrators would promote the program without understanding it. Many reported the immersion teachers' needs for more targeted professional development about American culture and the education system because of misunderstandings at the building level. Despite concerns, partner teachers found the role challenging but professionally rewarding. The Challenge With the growth of dual language immersion programs across the country and the current teacher shortage, many school districts have turned to hiring international teachers to fill their immersion needs. The stability of the international teachers' positions is tenuous; visa restrictions and instability of permanent staffing in immersion positions creates an additional burden on the partner teachers to maintain the immersion program and institutional knowledge. Understanding their experiences is crucial to the success of dual language immersion programs.