Qin Tian moved to the United States more than a decade ago with a singular focus: teaching Mandarin Chinese. She worked in another school district before hearing about an opening at Middleton High School, home to what she considers the strongest Mandarin program in the area.
“Of course, I gotta jump and join the best Mandarin program in this area,” Tian said.
Earlier this month, Tian was honored with the 2026 Heartland Chinese Teacher Award from the U.S. Heartland China Association, a recognition that spans 21 states. The award recognizes educators for excellence in Chinese language teaching, with selection criteria that include creativity and effectiveness of the class curriculum, the positive impact on students and contributions to Chinese language learning and culture in the wider community…