Hi, I’m Jiale (Taylor) Yao — an educator, researcher, and learning designer passionate about creating meaningful, equitable, and human-centered learning experiences.

I am currently a Master’s student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where I focus on Teaching & Teacher Leadership, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and learning environment design. My work sits at the intersection of language education, learning sciences, and educational innovation, with a particular interest in how thoughtful design—both digital and physical—can transform how learners experience knowledge.

Before coming to Harvard, I earned my B.A. in English from Shanghai International Studies University, where I developed a strong foundation in English & American literature, pedagogy, and educational psychology. I have since taught and worked across diverse contexts, including Chinese public high schools, international education settings, and literacy intervention programs in the U.S., supporting learners from secondary students to struggling readers through data-informed and culturally responsive approaches.

What drives my work is a simple but persistent question:

How can learning be designed not just to transmit knowledge, but to cultivate agency, understanding, and dignity?

Whether I am designing a task-based EFL lesson, prototyping a game-based history learning tool, or exploring teacher–AI collaboration, I aim to bridge theory and practice, and to connect global perspectives with local realities.

Beyond education, I am also a creative learner — I enjoy singing, writing, photography, and reflective storytelling, and I believe creativity is not an “extra,” but a core component of deep learning.

This site is a space where I share my teaching practice, research reflections, design projects, and ongoing thinking as I grow into an educator and designer committed to lifelong learning.