BIO
Born in 1988 in Songzi, China, Shoulong Zhou is currently a high school teacher at the Post Oak School in Houston. He teaches a wide range of classes, including global politics, Asian studies, and Mandarin, and uses the educational freedom that Post Oak provides as a Montessori school to tailor his curriculum to his students’ needs. Although his father was also an educator, Zhou did not envision himself pursuing a career in education until he began working part-time as an English instructor during his time as a college student at Yangtze University. He studied law at university, but his interest in teaching pushed him to pursue a Master’s degree in educational psychology at the University of Houston in 2010. In this interview, Zhou recounts the cultural shocks that he felt upon arriving in America alone and emphasizes the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and building a support system that you can lean on. Now, especially in light of the anti-Asian hate crimes that occurred during the pandemic, Zhou is extremely passionate about DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice). He served on Post Oak’s DEIJ Committee, implements DEIJ concepts into his curriculums, and is a founding member of Courageous Dialogues with Chinese Educators (CDCE). By sparking important conversations with his colleagues and students, he hopes that more people will begin thinking critically about DEIJ-related issues. In his free time, Zhou loves to read, watch basketball games, and travel with his wife.