Core learning screen

Diego López

From Mathematics Undergraduate to Lead Curriculum Designer

Last updated: May 15, 2025

Online Educator in EdTech · Boston, USA

Mathematics teacher turned online educator. Built curriculum for over 200,000 learners. My career path includes pandemic chaos, late-night Zoom classes, and what teaching at scale really feels like for the teacher behind the screen.

View biography

Career Timeline

Education2008-2010
Mathematics Undergraduate
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Discovered I taught math to my own peers better than I solved it. The grades suffered; the satisfaction grew.
Show moreShow less
ContextDiscovered I taught math to my own peers better than I solved it. The grades suffered; the satisfaction grew.
ChallengesFamily wanted engineering. Watching peers earn coding offers while I considered teaching.
LearningsTeaching is a craft, not a fallback. The respect comes from inside the work, not outside it.
Skills acquired
Pure mathematicsproblem solvingtutoring younger studentsteaching assistantship
First Job2010-2013
School Mathematics Teacher
Private school
Three years teaching grades 9 to 12 in a private school. Average class size of 36.
Show moreShow less
ContextThree years teaching grades 9 to 12 in a private school. Average class size of 36.
ChallengesSalary was a fraction of peers in tech. Pace of administrative work crowded out lesson preparation.
LearningsA great lesson is half mathematics and half storytelling. The students who hated math the most needed the storytelling the most.
Skills acquired
Curriculum deliveryparent meetingsexam designclassroom managementmentoring weaker students
Career Switch2013-2015
Online Educator (Subject Expert)
edX
Switched into EdTech during the lockdown. From a class of 36 to a class of 36,000.
Show moreShow less
ContextSwitched into EdTech during the lockdown. From a class of 36 to a class of 36,000.
ChallengesNo immediate feedback loop. You teach a screen and learn how students received the lesson only when test scores arrive a week later.
LearningsScale changes the craft. Online teaching demands clarity in seconds; a confused first 20 seconds and the learner is gone.
Skills acquired
Video lesson scriptinglearning platformspedagogical researchstudent data analysis
Promotion2015-Present
Lead Curriculum Designer
edX
Promoted to lead a small curriculum team. Built a redesign of the grade-9 math course that improved completion by 31%.
Show moreShow less
ContextPromoted to lead a small curriculum team. Built a redesign of the grade-9 math course that improved completion by 31%.
ChallengesDefending pedagogy against business pressure to "shorten everything." Some learning takes time and respects no quarter.
LearningsEdTech is at its best when teachers lead. It loses its soul when growth teams lead alone.
Skills acquired
Cross-functional leadershipcontent strategymentoring educatorslearning science
AdviceIf you are a young teacher considering EdTech — keep a foot in real classrooms. Direct teaching keeps your curriculum honest.

Mark if this helped you understand the journey.

Reflections & Questions from Readers

Share a thought, relate an experience, or ask a question. Reflections appear once reviewed (usually within 24 hours).

No reflections yet. Be the first to share what this journey sparked for you.

Diego López

Career Timeline

Mathematics Undergraduate

School Mathematics Teacher

Online Educator (Subject Expert)

Lead Curriculum Designer

Reflections & Questions from Readers