Graduate students are increasingly called upon to assume primary instructional roles, yet limited opportunities exist to reflect-on and share their early teaching experiences. This practice-based case study describes the instructional strategies, challenges, and professional growth of a first-time doctoral student serving as the primary instructor for ANSC 2720 – The Meat We Eat, a sophomore-level course enrolling approximately 50 students. Course design and delivery were guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy and Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning, with learning objectives intentionally progressing from foundational knowledge of meat science concepts to higher-order analysis, application, and evaluation of real-world food system issues. Instructional practices were grounded in constructivism, building upon students’ prior knowledge and lived experiences with food, while social learning theory informed the use of peer discussion, collaborative activities, and instructor modeling. Principles of cognitivism and behaviorism were applied through structured lectures, concept organization, frequent low-stakes quizzes, and immediate feedback to manage cognitive load and reinforce learning processes. To support diverse learners, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies were incorporated by offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, including visual aids, guided discussion, applied examples, and varied assessment formats. Inquiry-based and experiential learning approaches were used to situate learning in authentic contexts, connecting classroom content to industry practices, consumer decision-making, and societal implications of meat production.  Key challenges for the instructor included balancing content coverage with active learning, providing individualized attention in a moderate sized class, and developing confidence as a novice instructor. Ongoing reflection, student feedback, and formative assessment were used to monitor learning and motivation. This poster of practice reflects about lessons learned, instructional adjustments made across the semester, and recommendations for graduate students teaching for the first time. These  shared insights are transferable across disciplines and serve as a foundation for future scholarship of teaching and learning.