The purpose of this grounded theory qualitative study is to understand and explain how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped Chinese professors' teaching practices in hybrid classes. The context of this study was a College English program in a state-owned university in an underdeveloped region of China. Grounded theory was employed in this study to understand and explain the teaching experiences of Chinese professors in a less-developed area during the pandemic. Twenty participants from a College English program at a state-owned university in southern China were interviewed. The central understanding that emerged from this study is that the overall success participants experienced while teaching during the pandemic inspired them to explore more possible reforms and improvements to their teaching. The findings reveal that the pre-pandemic hybrid model reform contributed to participants' smooth transition to fully online teaching and successful teaching during the pandemic. This study gives voice to professors who work in an underdeveloped region of China. Their positive teaching experiences during the pandemic could be an exemplar to other educators looking to implement future teaching reforms and innovation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]