Teacher Guideline

To better promote students’ learning motivation, maintain school teaching order, and ensure teaching quality, Northwest Chinese School has established the following Teacher Code of Conduct.

I. General Provisions

Teachers must comply with the arrangements of the Principal and designated academic administrators. Teachers are obligated to participate in school-organized training sessions and teaching workshops.
Teachers must allow academic administrators to sit in on classes and review lesson plans at any time to monitor progress and improve teaching effectiveness. As long as class order is not disrupted, teachers should also not refuse parents’ requests to observe classes (no more than five parents), as this helps parents better support their children’s learning at home.
Teachers are expected to share and exchange teaching resources with colleagues. All classroom exercises, review questions, exam papers, training materials, and competition questions are the intellectual property of Northwest Chinese School. These materials are for internal use only and must not be distributed externally. The school reserves the right to hold violators accountable.
Teachers must submit leave requests at least two weeks in advance. In emergencies, teachers must notify the school immediately. Substitute teachers must be approved or assigned by the school—do not arrange substitutes independently. Substitute teacher compensation will be managed and issued by the school.
Teachers may not take more than four leaves per semester (except under special circumstances). Exceeding this limit will be considered a voluntary resignation. Absences without cause or retroactive leave requests are prohibited. More than two unexcused absences in a semester will result in termination.
If unable to continue teaching, teachers must inform the school at least two months in advance so that adjustments can be made. Upon resignation, teachers must return all school property, including teaching reference books and materials.

II. Teaching Content and Progress

All grade levels must use the Chinese textbooks selected by the school. Teaching progress and requirements are based on the school’s curriculum guidelines. Teachers should avoid heavily political texts or those unsuitable for overseas students, and may supplement with appropriate additional content. Teaching pace may be adjusted based on students’ comprehension.

III. Teaching Plans and Lesson Preparation

Hired teachers must prepare a semester syllabus before the term begins and submit it to the Principal two weeks prior to the start of classes.
The teaching plan must include:
1. Overall teaching objectives and strategies for achieving them.
2. Weekly lesson content, requirements, and examples of key points and difficulties.
3. Teacher’s name, class, and contact number.
Before each class, teachers must prepare detailed lesson plans including:
1. Objectives, content, and time allocation.
2. Key points, difficulties, and teaching methods.
3. Students’ homework completion status, common problems, and corrections.
4. Homework assignments and instructions for the week.

IV. Beginning of the Semester

Teachers must submit their teaching plan for review before the first class. In general, teachers should distribute the reviewed plan to students during the first week.
Teachers should collect teaching materials and supplies before the semester begins.
In the first class, teachers should hold a parent meeting and inform parents about required workbooks and notebooks (e.g., providing a sample sheet for parents to copy and bind).

V. Teaching Order

Chinese classes meet twice a week, 100 minutes total, with a 10-minute break. Electives meet once a week for 50 minutes.
Teachers must arrive on time, enter classrooms 5 minutes early, and begin and end classes punctually. Teachers should leave only after all students have exited.
Teachers must maintain class discipline, reminding students not to arrive late, leave early, or skip class (except for illness or excused absences). Attendance must be recorded.
With the help of parent representatives, teachers must ensure that rented classrooms and furniture are well maintained and restored to original condition after class. Food and drinks are not allowed. Blackboards/whiteboards and floors must be cleaned after class. Any damages must be reported immediately.
Teachers must avoid using discriminatory or politically sensitive language.

VI. Homework

Teachers of Grade 1 and above must assign 15–30 minutes of homework daily, five days a week. Preschool and kindergarten teachers need not assign written homework but may give memorization tasks (e.g., poems) to reinforce lessons.
Homework should reflect weekly lessons, with clear daily assignments. Instructions must be easy to understand so students can complete them independently.
Documents for printing should be submitted to the school printing staff in advance. Materials submitted after Wednesday evening will not be available on Saturday. Printing requests should be sent to nwchineseprinting@hotmail.com
Teachers must record homework completion and performance consistently.

VII. Parent Communication

Teachers must maintain contact with parents through weekly email updates, sharing students’ progress and issues to foster cooperation.
Each semester, teachers should hold at least one parent meeting to review students’ progress, address concerns, and collect feedback. Teachers should respond or escalate issues to the Principal or administrators when necessary.
If a parent disrupts class, the teacher should request administrative intervention and avoid direct confrontation.

VIII. Quizzes, Reviews, and Exams

When starting a new lesson, teachers should test students on prior material (e.g., dictation of characters) and review based on results.
At the end of each unit (3–4 lessons), teachers must allocate at least one class for review.
Teachers may optionally hold midterm exams.
Final exams must be held during the second-to-last week of the semester, with the previous week reserved for a comprehensive review. Reviews and exams must cover all material from the semester and should not rely on overly simplified outlines.
The exam format is set by the school. Teachers must confirm with grade-level leaders and submit exam papers at least one week prior for printing and archiving.
Teachers must grade exams carefully, record results promptly, and prepare final report cards according to school requirements for distribution on the last day of the semester.

IX. End of the Semester

In the final week, teachers must review exams with students, reward outstanding performance, and submit review outlines, sample exams (with answer keys), and report cards to administrators for recordkeeping.