Linlin Yao Nurtures Student Growth

“Some teachers naturally get along with kids very well, but others need a lot of help to connect with students,” said Linlin Yao, who joins the Program of Education as a Lecturer. “If you want to be a great teacher, you need to be a person who understands others — especially your students.” 

As a young girl growing up in China, Yao was shy and quiet. A self-described introvert, Yao often doubted herself and her abilities until she had a teacher who believed in her and encouraged her to enter an essay writing contest. Yao would have to read her entry aloud in front of an audience. 

“I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself, but she believed in me,” she said.  

Yao entered the contest and won first prize. She realized then the influence a teacher can have on a student’s life and future.  

Yao will put the lessons she’s learned from her mentors into practice at Duke. In the course Educational Psychology, she’ll teach Duke students the principles of developmental, social and cognitive psychology as applied to education, with a focus on how children learn. 

“The class will cover how to interpret students’ learning behaviors and performance,” Yao said. “And how to assess the ways students learn.” The goal is to find the best ways to teach each student through differentiated classroom instruction, encouragement and motivation. 

Yao, who lives in Cary with her husband and young son, enjoys spending her free time in her garden tending to her roses.  

“As a gardener, you have to learn how plants grow best,” she said. "Some need shade, some need more water. They have their own traits and nature, kind of like students in a classroom. As teachers, it’s our job to figure out how our student learn best and to create an environment that helps them grow.”