Gao Min Palmer is the Chinese teacher here at South. Before she was a Chinese teacher at South, she was an ESL teacher in Lincoln.
Moving to the U.S. was difficult for Palmer, but having support from her family was all she needed. Palmer said, “With support from my family, they encouraged me and helped me adjust to a new place.”
Palmer’s motivation to stay in school and learn English was her future. “Moving to the U.S. has to be my top three most unbelievable experiences.”
There are two Palmers here at South. Matthew Palmer is an English teacher, while Gao Min Palmer teaches Chinese. This is not their first time working together; they worked as teachers in Alaska before they moved.
Working together for years might seem boring, but to them it makes things much easier. “We leave to go to work together and go home together. It’s less time-consuming and saves gas.”
In Palmer’s class, she doesn’t just teach the Chinese language; students also learn all about China’s rich culture.
Palmer wants students to learn new languages and discover different cultures. “I try to make class engaging and fun for my students to really understand,” she said.
Right now, in Chinese class, students are learning about spring festivals and zodiac animals. Palmer also plans lessons where students can make food from Chinese culture; dumplings, moon cakes and ramen are only the beginning of what students learn about.
Palmer’s advice for students taking her class or who want to be in her class is to “make sure you come to class and practice.”
Practicing Chinese outside of class is recommended by Palmer. It helps a lot in class and helps students remember the language.
A dream field trip for Palmer would be to take her classes to China.
“I want my students to taste the rich food and experience what some of China’s traditions are,” she said.
