Game design education is often framed around theoretical frameworks or technical skill development, frequently separating academic knowledge from industry practice. This paper challenges that separation by exploring the cyclical knowledge exchange that occurs when a practitioner actively engages in both teaching and game development. Through a co-authored autoethnographic reflection, the paper examines how the ongoing development of an independent digital game has shaped one educator’s teaching approach, while classroom experiences have simultaneously refined his professional design practice. This reciprocal process—understood as a dynamic feedback loop—illustrates how practitioner-educators can integrate lived experience into curriculum design, creating a more adaptive and relevant pedagogical model. Revising the AI module, for example, freed space to introduce Procedural Generation—an area with far greater industry utility. Drawing on a background in multimedia rather than formal game design, the educator’s development journey served as a powerful learning tool, extending beyond technical proficiency to include problem-solving, user experience, and broader production challenges. Teaching did not occur in isolation; instead, classroom discussions, student feedback, and the act of explaining complex concepts became critical catalysts for re-evaluating and strengthening design decisions. Key reflections highlight the value of reflective practice, iterative learning, and mutual inquiry in design education. The study highlights the importance of aligning curricula with real-world relevance, prompting a reassessment of which skills and knowledge are truly essential. For example, lived experience exposed misalignments in module content—such as an overemphasis on academically popular AI techniques and informed more common game development practices. This paper argues for a design pedagogy that embraces ongoing professional practice as a central educational tool. Rather than viewing industry and academia as separate spheres, the model presented here positions practitioner-led teaching as a site of active knowledge generation. It demonstrates how design education can stay responsive and relevant as digital practice evolves.