About Me

Neither of my parents had a high school degree, but they instilled in me the importance of education and work ethic. Fortunately, I was able to attend college studying Computer Science on a full scholarship and continued to work as a computer class instructor. I came to the United States as an exchange student, enjoyed a career in IT, and later pursued my master’s degree and PhD in Biology focusing on Neuroscience. My motivation for advanced education was that I wished to develop myself further to meet society’s needs.

 I have become a NYC Teaching Fellow with the wish to make a profound difference in the lives of NYC’s underserved students. As a career changer with scientific research knowledge, my goal is to encourage students to observe and appreciate the application of their learning in the real world, and to help them build confidence and motivation to explore ways to ask questions and solve problems. An excellent science teacher, I believe, enables students to understand and improve their surroundings through creative and logical thinking process, perseverance through trials and errors, and teamwork skills; these are not only important in the field of science, but also in success in life.

I recall that my mother had a rough time teaching me that fish swims and does not fly, cicadas are different from flies, and skiers’ poles were not canes. I could have known these facts from experience without necessarily being taught, if my family background and socio-economic status were different; we lived in a poor part of the city far away from nature and could never afford a family vacation. My experience may be only a small reflection on the diversity of New York City students. Students from various backgrounds that do not meet the average standards may experience great disadvantage if their education is not designed to meet the individual needs of students. Teachers must remain flexible in adopting different strategies based on students’ feedback and on-going assessment to increase their engagement and to lead all students to successful learning.

Adopting the ideas of the maker movement in science class presents exciting opportunities to engage students in learning, which I wish to explore though I feel some qualms due to my fear of lack of creativity. I hope there is some of my father’s ability of making left in me. Please check out a little story about my journey to become a teacher here.