This study compares reading lessons given by two teachers in senior middle school classrooms on China's mainland. Classroom observation focused on lesson stages and activities as well as student responses. Follow-up interviews with the teachers aimed to discover the decision-making processes and choices made when teaching the lessons. Most notable were differences in decision-making and pedagogic reasoning when comparing a more experienced teacher to a less-experienced one. It appeared that the less-experienced teacher was nevertheless more aware of integrating theory into actual practice while taking a more learner-centered approach. The more-experienced teacher was more concerned with testing outcomes and appeared to be much more comfortable with a teacher-directed approach. It is hoped that the insights given in this study can lead to increased awareness of how strategies can be effectively taught and how teachers base classroom practices on their own learning experiences and the contexts within which they work.