Award-winning Creator | Animator | Developer | Facilitator : Facilatator

My purpose is to help others experience Aha and WOW moments!

I'm obsessed with creating WOW storytelling moments by blending emerging animation technology with story, animation, and psychology. As both a creator and a teacher, I aim to push the boundaries of storytelling to craft those unforgettable AHA learning experiences. My curiosity has driven me to explore many paths, face failures, and learn from each challenging experience. These varied interests have given me a multidisciplinary background, and my wide range of experiences has shaped my unique perspective and teaching approach. I strive to create a "Flow" state in my learner-centered classes, encouraging creativity, grit, and critical thinking. I enjoy watching students experience those AHA moments as they master complex, project-based assignments through team-based learning and incorporating universal design principles. These transformative learning moments help instill a mindset and framework that prepares them for the future for all types of learners.

Teaching Philosophy

Why I teach

I am deeply committed to creating "aha" moments that empower learners to achieve their "wow" experiences. My dedication to education is rooted in my personal journey as a refugee with a learning disability who grew up in a financially disadvantaged environment in Los Angeles. As a child, I struggled with being labeled "stupid," facing shame and despair for not fitting conventional norms. However, I turned these challenges into strengths by cultivating curiosity and developing habits and frameworks to overcome them. This mindset transformation has shaped my approach to teaching, emphasizing the integration of tools and processes that foster mindset shifts and empower learners.

A pivotal moment in my life was when my math teacher, Ms. Sun, recognized my potential and helped me believe in myself. Her influence was a turning point that reshaped my identity, sparking my passion for learning and building the resilience I needed to overcome challenges. Her impact led to my acceptance at UCLA, where I graduated in the top twenty percent of my class. Inspired by Ms. Sun, I am driven to support others, helping them realize their potential.

I explore innovative teaching methods at the intersection of psychology, arts, technology, and storytelling. I have had the privilege of teaching or speaking at over twenty institutions. This experience of seeing so many dots and connecting them, combined with my curiosity, has enriched my understanding and refined my teaching practices to create transformative learning moments. Everyone's brain is different, and there is no right way to learn; however, self-reflection, understanding the impact of mindset, and adopting specific frameworks can be empowering. I am passionate about fostering creativity and helping others achieve their "aha" moments and "wow" experiences through student-centered, active learning that enables all learners to reach their full potential.

How I teach

My primary goal is to create transformative "Aha" moments for students by shifting from traditional teaching to a facilitative role. As a facilitator, I empower students to reach their full potential by fostering a growth mindset, guiding them toward mastery through tailored instruction, and challenging their self-beliefs. I aim to help students achieve a "Flow" state where creativity, perseverance, and critical thinking thrive, particularly in complex, project-based assignments that build confidence and reinforce a growth mindset through student-centered, active learning that allows all learner to achieve their learning outcomes.

I employ a problem-based learning model, structuring assignments using real-world challenges from my professional experience. This approach, combined with the transparency framework, connects classroom topics to students' goals and real-life scenarios, enhancing learning and persistence. These projects teach relevant content and develop essential skills like communication, problem-solving, and collaboration, which are vital for sustaining a creative career. I strive to instill in students a mastery of art and technology and a lifelong curiosity for learning.

Recognizing that teaching others is a powerful form of learning, I incorporate community-based strategies that promote collaboration and peer feedback. My classroom environment emphasizes equity by pairing experienced students with less experienced peers, fostering community. Digital tools such as Discord, Obsidian, SyncSketch, and xTile support collaboration, organization, and systems thinking. At the same time, the CODE framework (Consume, Organize, Distill, Express) helps students process, create, and teach what they've learned, accelerating their educational journey and fostering agency.

I use a flip "learner-centered" classroom environment with more group and individual activities and one-on-one work. Lectures are kept at a minimum, and lectures and materials are offloaded to LMS. By having the students consume relevant information before class, we can focus more on student-centered, active learning, interactive practice, and discussion that allows all learners to achieve their learning outcomes.
Effective learning is a collaborative process between educator and learner. While students must work hard, educators' goal should empower the students to be more effective learners through student-centered, active learning. The most rewarding aspect of my role is facilitating a shift in students' mindsets and empowering them with agency—a lasting impact that extends beyond the classroom. Ultimately, it's not the depth of the teacher's knowledge that matters but the extent of the student's learning and achievements through their self-efficacy and understanding of frameworks for student-centered, active learning for a more equitable, accessible, and inclusive experience that allows all learners to achieve learning outcomes.

My commitment to creating transformative "Aha" moments naturally led me to a teaching career. I have been a guest speaker or instructor at various institutions, including Duke University, UCLA, USC, CalArts, AAU, California Community Colleges, CCA, LSU, SCAD, Ringling College, DSU, Stanford University, and Santa Clara University. This diverse experience has allowed me to engage with students across different disciplines, including art, engineering, film, and animation, and to adapt to onsite, online, and hybrid teaching formats.

Teaching Philosophy

I have taught various courses, including Unreal Real-Time Game Development, 2D and 3D Animation, Game Animation, Motion Graphics, Storytelling, and Studio courses. Beyond the classroom, I am committed to continuous exploration and learning by sharing my poster contributor experience at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit and Contra Consta Pedagogy Conference. I actively pursue professional development, earning certifications in the Certificate in Effective Teaching Practice Framework and participating in conferences like the Game Developers Conference, Great Teacher Conference 2024, and Online Teacher Conference. Recently, I have contributed to using the strength-based approach for learning at conferences at the Stanford neurodiversity summit.

What I teach

Advocate for neurodiversity

As a consultant, I advise universities and studios on workflows, systems, and curriculum development, focusing on integrating industry best practices and systems thinking. My contributions include training programs at DreamWorks Animation and Sony Imageworks, and in 2023, I served as a technical director and instructor for the Unreal Animation Fellowship. My work has been featured in Wired, Forbes, and Animation Magazine, and I contributed as an illustrator to my sister Lan Phan's book, Do This Daily. In the Fall, I am excited to push the boundaries of creating and innovation as an adjunct associate professor at Duke University in the School of Game Design, Development, and Innovation, implementing a team-based learning approach.