# Teaching As described on my [[about me]] and [[timeline]], I began my career teaching K-12, higher-education, and teacher education in China for four years. After returning to the U.S., I pursued my doctorate while teaching undergraduate pre-service and in-service teachers for four and a half years. Classroom teaching remains the foundation of my practice, influencing how I design learning experiences, consult with experts, and lead teams. Teaching across cultures and grade levels shaped my root perspective and reinforced the value I place on education and life-long learning. Throughout these experiences, students and colleagues inspired me to continually strive for more. Key lessons I carried forward include: - Empathizing with those I teach and lead - Establishing, building, and maintaining trust - Connecting lessons to real-world problems and creating active learning experiences - Project management, educational technology, and organizational skills - Demonstrating leadership through lesson planning, listening, speaking, experimentation, fairness, and providing meaningful feedback ## Guiding statements This section highlights core perspectives I have developed over the years, including: 1. My [[teaching philosophy]] 2. My research statement and scholarly direction 3. My view on the value of high-quality [[multimedia production]] These perspectives have evolved with professional experience and reflection, and I expect they will continue to develop over time. ==For now, I keep 1 and 2 in mind as I consider one day possibly returning to university as a Professor of Practice.== ## 2003-2007, China This section provides background on my teaching experiences in China. During this time, I worked at three different schools and, during one summer, taught Chinese teachers about activities and techniques I used in my own classrooms. These experiences exposed me to diverse educational contexts, shaped my teaching approach, and reinforced the importance of adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and student-centered learning. ## 2009-2013, Texas Tech University (TTU) This section describes my teaching experience with pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers in West and Central Texas. Over five years while completing my doctorate, I taught multiple sections of a project-based course on educational technology each spring, fall, and summer term. Concurrently, I created a teaching guide that other graduate students could use when first teaching the same course. These experiences strengthened my instructional design skills, reinforced the value of structured guidance, and deepened my understanding of effective pedagogy. ## 202x-20xx, In the future This section outlines ideas for future teaching experiences and professional growth. It may include plans for new courses, experimental approaches to learning design, or other initiatives that I hope to develop. Details will be refined over time as these ideas take shape.