Say 你好! to the New Chinese Teacher

Story by Kay Haas – News Editor

  As the new school year kicks off, Lee’s Summit North welcomes many new teachers. One of them is Yanlan Jin, a Chinese teacher. 

   Jin was raised in China and took an interest in teaching and language. She got her undergraduate degree in China from Yanbian University. After that, Jin moved to South Korea, got her master’s, and became a language instructor there. 

   She moved to the United States after she and her husband got married. She taught Chinese at the Académie Lafayette in Kansas City. This is her eleventh year of teaching. 

   “Teaching Chinese is something that I can do well,” Jin said.

   One aspect of her new job that she likes is that she can spend more time with her daughter. At her old jobs, she did not have the same flexibility.

   “At first I worked as an administrator at a University and I liked that job, but at first I didn’t want to do the full-time job because when you have a child you want to spend time with them,” Jin said.

   Her new job at LSN allows her to still be with her daughter. 

   “I like it because we end school at 2:30 and then I can go pick up my daughter,” Jin said.

   Everyone is very excited to welcome Jin to Lee’s Summit North.