这位美国老师，在深圳当了14年“老虎”

2026年11月07日 14:40:00 来自北京市

·（）美景

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“我叫Tyler，2012年来到深圳。”说这话的Tyler Dean，中文名叫“梯格”，来自美国缅因州。

"I'm Tyler. I came to Shenzhen in 2012." So says Tyler Dean, whose Chinese name is Tige, hailing from Maine, the United States.

在深圳，熟悉的人更多的是叫他“Tiger（老虎）”。这个名字，是他来深圳小学当老师时，学生给他取的绰号，但更巧的是，两年后，当Tyler了解到中国的民俗文化十二生肖时，他发现他正好属虎。

In Shenzhen, people who know him well usually call him "Tiger". This nickname was given by his students when he worked as a primary school teacher in Shenzhen. By coincidence,two years later, when Tyler learned about the Chinese zodiac, he found out that he happened to have been born in the Year of the Tiger.

学生叫出来的“老虎”

一叫就是14年

"Tiger" — A Nickname

From Students

That Has Stuck for 14 Years

截至2026年10月，Tyler在深圳已经生活了整整14年，他在这里教书、开公司、做志愿者。

As of October 2026, Tyler has lived in Shenzhen for exactly 14 years, where he has worked as a teacher, started a business, and served as a volunteer.

来深圳之前，Tyler学的是商业和计算机，在美国尝试过管理、市场营销和客服等工作，但他一直有一个创业的想法。“我家里很多人是老师，也有人做生意，我想，也许我可以做一家英语培训公司。”

Before coming to Shenzhen, Tyler majored in business and computer science, and had worked in management, marketing and customer service in the US, but he always had an entrepreneurial idea. "Many of my relatives are teachers, and some are in business. I thought maybe I could run an English training company."

可Tyler没有教过书，于是他先在家乡当起了“免费老师”，教中餐馆的厨师、服务员说英语。“我发现他们其实不太会说英语，就想着帮帮忙。”Tyler说道。

Since Tyler had no prior teaching experience, he started by becoming a "volunteer teacher" in his hometown, teaching English to chefs and waiters in Chinese restaurants. "I found that they couldn’t speak English very well, so I wanted to help them out," Tyler said.

这一尝试，让Tyler确认了自己喜欢教学。他本打算去日本发展，一个偶然改变了他的选择，中餐馆经理的一位朋友在深圳做教育，正想为学校招外教。那时的Tyler“连深圳是什么样都不知道”，但还是决定来看看，出发前他特意去进修，拿到了教学培训证书。

This attempt made Tyler confirm his passion for teaching. He originally planned to develop his career in Japan, but a coincidence changed his choice. A friend of the Chinese restaurant manager who worked in education in Shenzhen was looking to recruit foreign teachers for local schools. At that time, Tyler didn't even know what Shenzhen was like, but he still decided to come and have a look. Before he came to Shenzhen, he specially took further training and obtained a teaching certification.

到了深圳后，Tyler被安排到学校教小学一、二年级的小朋友。对于只教过高中和成人的Tyler来说，这是个全新的尝试，“我当时完全不知道该怎么带朋友，就这么硬着头皮教了将近4年。”

After arriving in Shenzhen, Tyler was assigned to teach first- and second-graders at the primary school. For Tyler, who had only taught high school students and adults, this was a brand-new attempt. "I had no idea how to teach young kids at that time, but I still taught like this for almost 4 years without any hesitation."

绰号“老虎”就是那时候的学生给他起的。第一年在福田一所小学，学生之前从未见过外教，问他叫什么，‌他说自己叫Tyler，但学生都觉得他名字读起来像“Tiger”。“Tyler”和“Tiger”读起来只差一点，小朋友喊着顺口，Tyler索性说：“那你们就叫我老虎Tiger吧。”

The nickname "Tiger" was given by his students at that time. In his first year at a primary school in Futian District, students who had never seen a foreign teacher before and asked his name. He told them his name was Tyler, but the students thought it sounded like "Tiger". Since the two words sound so alike — and “Tiger” was easier for the children to say —Tyler simply said: "Then you can call me Tiger."

直到两年后，Tyler才在课堂上知道中国民俗文化有十二生肖，而他正好属虎。“是个巧合。”他笑着说，“我就把这个名字保留了下来。”

Until two years later, Tyler learned about the Chinese zodiac in class and found that he was born in the Year of the Tiger. "It's a coincidence," he said with a smile. "So I just kept this name."

2015年，Tyler和中国搭档合伙注册了教育培训公司，2016年春天正式起步。他负责把教学经验整理成教学体系，并培训新老师。“到现在，我们教过的学生超过1000名。”Tyler说。

In 2015, Tyler and his Chinese partner registered an education and training company, which officially launched in the spring of 2016. He is responsible for sorting teaching experience into a systematic curriculum and training new teachers. "Up to now, we have taught more than 1,000 students," Tyler said.

把人聚到一起

从培训中心到社区酒吧

Bringing People Together:

From Training Center

to Community Hub

大约在2022年，Tyler把最初叫“老虎教育”的机构改名为“老虎俱乐部”。2025年10月，他和来自广西的妻子又一起经营了叫Tiger's的小酒吧。

Around 2022, Tyler renamed his institution "Tiger Education" to "Tiger Club". In October 2025, he and his wife, who is from Guangxi, opened a small bar called Tiger's together.

在Tyler看来，酒吧不只是喝酒的地方。语言交换、开放麦、电影之夜、球赛直播、桌游局，还有沙发客聚会等都可以在这里举办，Tyler喜欢张罗各种活动，也欢迎别人来这里办自己的活动。在他的设想里，这里更像一个社区，把不同国籍、不同职业的人聚到一起。

In Tyler's view, a bar is not just a place for drinking. Language exchanges, open mics, movie nights, live game broadcast, board game, couchsurfing meetup and more can be held here. Tyler loves organizing various events and also welcomes others to host their own activities here. In his vision, this place is more like a community that brings together people of different nationalities and occupations.

酒吧之外，Tyler这几年一直在深圳做志愿者，服务外籍社群。作为社区联络志愿者，他帮在华美国人理清出生登记、护照更新等办事流程，帮外籍老师处理工作许可、签证这些麻烦事，也把心理健康支持等资源介绍给有需要的人。

Beyond the bar, Tyler has been volunteering in Shenzhen for these years, serving the expat community. As a community liaison volunteer, he helps Americans in China navigate such as birth registration and passport renewal, assists foreign teachers with work permits and visa issues, and connects people in need with resources including mental health support.

“很多人的需求其实是一样的，只是不知道去哪里找信息。”为此，Tyler正在开发一款面向外国人的手机应用，把开银行卡、办社保卡、办签证这些流程整理成指南，让人能一眼看懂。Tyler还常和本地志愿者团队一起举办文化交流活动，如做月饼、扎灯笼、看表演、尝中国菜等，一步步融入深圳生活。

"A lot of people have the same needs, they just don't know where to find the information." For this reason, Tyler is developing a mobile app for foreigners, which sorts out procedures like opening a bank account, applying for a social security card, and getting a visa into easy-to-follow guides. Tyler also often hosts cultural exchange activities with local volunteer teams, such as making mooncakes, crafting lanterns, watching performances, and tasting Chinese food, gradually integrating into life in Shenzhen.

在深圳安家

“来了，就是深圳人”

Settling Down in Shenzhen:

“Once you come to Shenzhen,

you are a Shenzhener”

在深圳，Tyler通过共同的朋友和活动遇到了妻子，后来在这里组建了家庭。如今，他们有一双儿女，儿子刚满4岁，女儿快要满2岁。妻子的父母住得不远，也常帮忙照看孩子。

In Shenzhen, Tyler met his wife through mutual friends in events, and then started a family here. Now they have a son and a daughter — their son just turned 4, and their daughter will soon be 2. His wife's parents live nearby and often help take care of their children.

在Tyler家里，有一条天然的“语言分工”：孩子在学校以及和妈妈会说中文，和他说英语。聊起女儿，Tyler还有点得意：“她什么都听得懂。有时候我还没说‘我们走吧’，她已经在穿鞋了。”

There is a natural "language division" in Tyler's family: the children speak Chinese at school and with their mother, and speak English with him. Talking about his daughter, Tyler is a little proud: "She understands everything. Sometimes before I even say 'let's go', she's already putting on her shoes."

在孩子的教育上，夫妻俩的想法也出奇一致，都想让孩子多试试艺术、体育等领域的发展。Tyler说，在美国，除了成绩跟不上、需要提分的孩子，大多数孩子上兴趣班，都是冲着体育、音乐这些自己感兴趣的东西去的。他打算等儿子再大一点，就带他多试几样，“看看他自己喜欢什么。”

When it comes to their children's education, the couple share surprisingly consistent views — they both want their kids to try out fields like art and sports. Tyler says that in the US, except for children who fall behind academically and need to improve their grades, most kids take after-school classes in things they are passionate about, such as sports and music. He plans to let his son try more activities when he gets older, "to see what he likes on his own."

从2012年到现在，Tyler眼看着深圳“长高、长密”。“我刚来的时候，地铁只有5条线，现在有20多条了。”Tyler说。早些年工作没那么忙时，他还是龙岗的常客。他说他在横岗配过眼镜，去过布吉，还专门到龙岗的科教城片区转过。

From 2012 to now, Tyler has watched Shenzhen "grow taller and denser". "When I first came here, there were only 5 metro lines. Now there are more than 20," Tyler said. In the early years when work was less busy, he was a frequent visitor to Longgang District. He said he had glasses made in Henggang, visited Buji, and even made a point of exploring the Universiade Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Science & Education City in Longgang.

“在这里一家人越放松。大家在街边、在公园里一起吃饭、聊天、大笑，特别像我的家乡。”Tyler喜欢这里“不太一样”的节奏。前几年他甚至打算在龙岗再开一家门店，后来因为大环境变化，才把重心转向了家庭和社区。

"My whole family feels more and more relaxed here. People eat, chat and laugh together on the streets and in the parks — it's just like my hometown." Tyler likes what he describes as the “different” pace of life here. A few years ago, he even planned to open another branch in Longgang, but later shifted his focus to family and community due to changes in the overall environment.

在深圳生活得越久，Tyler越觉得自己离不开这里。2017年他回了一趟美国，“待了一个星期，我就开始想深圳了；回来后，我特别开心。”他觉得，深圳是“国际化、友善、方便、对家庭友好”的城市，“有很多年轻人，也很现代，而且一直保留着大片的绿色和公园。”他还有个心愿，希望妈妈能来深圳住上一段时间，亲眼看看这里的生活。

The longer Tyler lives in Shenzhen, the more he feels he can't leave. He went back to the US in 2017. "After staying there for a week, I started missing Shenzhen; I was so happy when I came back." He thinks Shenzhen is an "international, friendly, convenient and family-friendly city" with "lots of young people, a modern vibe, and plenty of green spaces and parks preserved all along". He also has a wish: he hopes his mother can come to live in Shenzhen for a while and see the life here with her own eyes.

“这里就是我的家。”Tyler说，“就像那句话讲的，来了，就是深圳人。”

"This is my home," Tyler said. "Just as the saying goes, Once you come to Shenzhen, you are a Shenzhener."

来源：龙岗融媒（叶惠玲曾萍陈依妍）

责编：龙岗融媒（编辑黄嘉敏）

审核：陈杨

监制：艾海建

·（）美景

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·（）美景

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