Since the launch of the national curriculum reform in 2001, Chinese teachers have been facing the dilemma between "education for student quality" and "education for exams".This study examines how some Chinese deal with this dilemma with their own cultural mindset, discourse and actions.Through extended fieldwork in schools in Beijing in the past three years, the study finds that the teachers exhibit a holistic view on teaching, a practical reasoning about teaching, and a unity of knowledge and action in teaching.These three features compose of their teaching philosophy as their ways of being, thinking and doing in times of change.Finally it is concluded that Chinese teachers native discourse, mindset and actions are worthy special attention by outside reform experts and administrators, as they are necessary mediating tools to re-contextualize and re-construct the outside reform in a school context.