CLTA-WA Coaching for Language Educators Workshop Recap
By Vanessa Chen
On August 17,2025, the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Washington (CLTA-WA) hosted a professional development workshop dedicated to empowering educators with practical coaching strategies to address the challenges of today’s language classrooms.
We were honored to welcome Cheryl Wang as our presenter. Cheryl is the Founding Teacher of CentriGrowth Culture Ambassador Lab and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). She is also an award-winning educator, recognized with the 2023 WAFLT Creative Innovation Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Activity Design for K-12. Participants engaged in a lively discussion about common challenges in language teaching, including limited authentic language use and exposure, the cultural and proficiency gap, and low learner motivation.
The heart of the workshop focused on core coaching techniques, with the facilitator guiding participants through three key areas:
- Deep Listening – Participants explored three levels of listening (internal, focused, and global) and reflected on how these approaches can strengthen teacher-student connections.
- Powerful Questioning – The session highlighted purposeful, open-ended questioning strategies that encourage ownership, build self-awareness, and shift focus toward growth and possibility.
- Emotionally Intelligent Development – Through hands-on activities such as the Identity Puzzle, Values Exploration, and Learner Signal Recognition, participants experienced ways to engage learners holistically and cultivate classroom environments that celebrate effort, acknowledge enthusiasm, and bridge learning gaps.
The workshop concluded with a joyful song activity and the sharing of participants’ top values—an uplifting close that reinforced the power of community and reflection in professional growth.
Thank you to our speaker for her insightful guidance and to all attendees for your active participation. Together, we continue building supportive, student-centered language classrooms that foster motivation, connection, and growth.