how we teach

Nathan has over 30 years of educational experience, including experience as an Assistant Principal, Athletic Director, Web Master. and professional tennis instructor.

A North Carolina native and world traveler, Nathan holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Education and a Master's degree in School Leadership. He brings his passions for service learning, global citizenry, and problem-based learning to DHS. 

Ms. Morillo earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Education degree. She has 12 years of experience in education, including one year in China. 

Her previous positions include PK-12 Curriculum and IB Coordinator, Department of World Languages Chair, Asst Academic Coordinator, ELL Teacher, IB Examiner, and IBDP English and Spanish Literature Teacher.

Ms. Essack holds a Master's degree in Science and a PGCE in Education. Her professional experience includes being a Secondary School Principal, a Curriculum Coordinator, a Department Head, a Middle School/High School Science and Biology teacher and a School Guidance Counsellor.

As a school leader, Lubaina values authenticity, transparency, academic rigor, and the spirit of harmonious collaboration. Her primary educational focus is on inquiry and skills-based teaching that promotes critical and creative thinking, information literacy, communication, collaboration, and innovation.

Meik Loughran joined the DAIS community in 2013. Born and raised in Colorado, he studied foreign language education at the Pädagogische Hochschule in Karlsruhe, Germany before graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in 2010 with a bachelor’s in German and philosophy. In 2016 he earned a master’s degree in EAL international education, curriculum and instruction preK-12 from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

He believes that even beginning-level English language learners can work at all levels of higher-order thinking and that reading and writing proficiency is dependent upon the development of rich oral academic language.

Mr. Sanchez holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana Tech and Louisiana State University, respectively. Mr. Sanchez came to United States when he was 17 years old from Colombia, South America and earned a scholarship to complete his undergraduate studies from EXXON corporation.

Mr. Sanchez has been a Secondary Science teacher, primarily in the area of Chemistry for the past 11 years. He holds an IBDP Certification and AP Certification.

Ms. Ang completed her Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and Master's degree in Business Administration in Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan in the Philippines. After a few years of working as a civil engineer and having a small business, she took up part-time teaching at Lourdes College. 

Here, she found that her true passion is teaching, which led her to get a certificate in Professional Education and a Diploma in Special Education. She then went and worked in Virginia and New Mexico as a Middle School Math Teacher for four years. She has more than 10 years' experience working at DAIS.

Jordan graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Art degree in Integrated Language and his secondary teaching certification.

In 2011, Jordan moved to Dalian to teach English in a different environment. Jordan is a lifelong learner who brings his enthusiasm for learning into the classroom every day. His love of writing and literature propels him to help students find a voice that is their own.

Bobby Flanagan serves as the DAIS Social Studies Department head and is an extremely proud graduate of the first public university in the United States, The University of North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and currently working on a Master's degree in Educational Leadership.

His teaching experience started 20 years ago, and since then he has been working alongside grades 8-12. An expert in Geography and History, he has worked with both AP and IB curricula. Mr. Flanagan has been involved in all areas of school life, having been a Student Government advisory, grade level leader, Prom Coordinator, and varsity basketball, track, and soccer coach.

Annie graduated from Shenyang Normal University in 2008 with a degree in English and Education. While completing course work for her bachelor’s degree, Annie took up a half-year internship in a Chinese public middle school, working as a homeroom teacher. She currently holds two official teaching certificates, a National Teacher Certificate and a Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. Ms. Cui came to DHS in the fall of 2009.