World Languages Teacher Bin He was elected as the President of the Chinese Language Teacher’s Association of Southern California (CLTA-SC) Nov. 19. CLTA-SC is a non-profit organization that helps connect students and teachers who are passionate or interested in the Chinese language. According to the CLTA-SC website, its mission is to establish common goals for Chinese language and cultural education.
He said he aims to both give teachers a voice to express themselves and strengthen relations within CLTA-SC.
“On a personal level, I aspire to empower teachers to take pride in their work and feel confident showcasing their expertise on both regional and national platforms,” He said. “By helping educators find their voices and share their stories, I hope to inspire more students to embrace Chinese language and culture, thereby contributing to a richer, more interconnected, global community.”
He said on a professional level he hopes to work alongside teachers to continue to promote conversations about Chinese culture and education.
“As the President of CLTA-SC, I am most excited about the opportunity to connect and collaborate with educators across diverse backgrounds and institutions,” He said. “I deeply value the sense of community within CLTA-SC, and I look forward to fostering meaningful conversations that inspire innovative ideas and elevate the field of Chinese language education.”
He also said he applies what he learns from his role at CLTA-SC to his teachings at the school and vice versa.
“My experiences as a World Languages teacher and my involvement with CLTA-SC have always informed and enriched each other,” He said. “At Harvard-Westlake, I’ve had the privilege of developing various courses, many of which were shaped by the timely feedback and encouragement from my students. Their input has motivated me to continue innovating and designing interdisciplinary curricula.”
Jett Jasper ’26 said he greatly respects He and has confidence in his abilities as a leader.
“I honestly think that he is the best choice,” Jasper said. “He’s always been one of my favorite Chinese teachers here at Harvard-Westlake. He’s very supportive of who I am and I’ve learned a lot through him. Before coming to Harvard-Westlake, I wasn’t really that good at reading and writing in Chinese, and Mr. He has helped out my journey so much.”