Michael in China

I left the US for China 15 years ago and have never looked back. I love my life in China! I came here to learn classical Chinese and found a wonderful job at an international school here. We cater to expatriate kids and teach the International Baccalaureate curriculum. I really enjoy my work and I am always grateful for the chance to live in this country and to learn from one of the most profound cultures in the world. I am also very proud to be a teacher and consider it to be one of the most honorable professions in the world.

I challenge students by appealing to their critical thinking skills. Over the years I have come to greatly appreciate the rich culture and disciplines that can be found in Asia and I have applied many of those ideas into my own teaching practice. I work hard to differentiate among my students while at the same time, provide a challenging environment that encourages independent thought and analysis. I thoroughly believe that all people should continue to learn throughout their lives. As a result, I never believe my lessons are "finished" nor are the courses I teach ever complete.

I was awarded the top thesis award for my senior thesis at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia– but that was a long time ago! Since then I have won a few Chinese calligraphy contests but I suspect the judging was "rigged" so that a foreign face could be used to generate press.

I got my BA in History and then moved to China in 1997. I have lived here ever since and simply love it! The Chinese are amazing people and I am always challenged to learn new things about myself and my gracious host culture. I began working at an international school as a Chinese teacher in 2003 and since then I have earned an MAEd and moved on to head the Humanities department of my school.

My Chinese wife and I have one son, Isaiah. We really enjoy our life in Tianjin and take lots of short trips throughout China to explore this amazing country! I am also a student of ancient Chinese calligraphic writing and specialize in something called "xiao zhuan" or "small seal script." Its a very different form of calligraphy from what many people associate with the art. If anyone is interested, I would be happy to send along a short piece of brush writing in the mail!