SophieYang

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and what were you doing before arriving at THINK Global School?

Originally from Hubei, China, I pursued studies in psychology and international affairs at Gettysburg College in the US. After briefly working in the media sector in Washington DC, I furthered my academic journey by obtaining a master’s degree in international education from Columbia University.

2. What do you love most about teaching?

It can be a dynamic process of mutual learning with the students that promotes creativity and celebrates freedom.

3. What aspects of THINK Global School’s educational model do you find most appealing?

The experiential, interdisciplinary, and individualized learning aspects of our PBL model are truly complementary to one another, offering students the chance to continually test their dreams and ideas against practical projects at a critical age. I believe this process creates a positive and reflective cycle that will empower students to effect real changes in the complex contemporary landscapes of communities, cultures, and societies.

4. If you could make one major change to global education, what would it be?

I aspire to diversify the narrative of global education by promoting the integration of various educational philosophies and practices from different parts of the world. I hope to continue exploring how an inclusive and holistic education experience could look like in the age of AI.

5. Describe your teaching style or philosophy. Do you have any unique teaching methods you use to keep students engaged?

Teaching to me is both the science of strategic structuring and the art of immersive intuition. Hence it is a craft that takes time and reflection to master the balance in every specific educational context.

6. Which of our core values do you feel you most embody, and why?

For me, Meraki is paramount. Living wholeheartedly, infusing creativity and spirituality into all aspects of life, is essential. Given the significant portion of our lives dedicated to work, the way we approach it will in turn shape how it transforms us.

7. Tell us about your favorite teaching experience pre-TGS

In a UN youth training program in NYC, I participated in designing and facilitating sessions to introduce SDGs to a group of visiting Chinese students. Given my shared cultural background with them, it became a memorable process to teach international frameworks through Western concepts within the context of modern Eastern societies to ESL students in English.

8. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m always excited about traveling, regardless of the destination, because it is the journey of uncertainty that counts. It allures me cunningly to change my perspectives, reexamine my own assumptions, and in the end almost always leaves me wondering more about myself, or the world.

9. What is your favorite book, and why?

Sophie’s World is a book that first revealed to me the secret garden of philosophy when I was little. I am still amazed by how it never fails to inspire me, whenever I go back to reading it, even as I grow up thinking I know more about the world.