Mr. Lam Spotlight

   New to the School District of Philadelphia, Mr. Lam is adjusting to Masterman while also finding the joys of teaching at a demonstration school. He was born in Chicago and then moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. Mr. Lam came back to the United States briefly for college where he attended what is now Calvin University but went back to Hong Kong after graduation. He later returned to the USA in 2015 when he started his teaching career at a public school in Baltimore. Two years later, he started teaching at Esperanza Academy Charter School in North Philadelphia. He stumbled upon Masterman after hearing about it being a demonstration school, unaware of its total excellence as the top school in Pennsylvania. Mr. Lam had an extensive journey before coming to Masterman, from moving around the world to even switching careers after realizing his passion for teaching.  

Working a corporate job in Hong Kong left Mr. Lam feeling unfulfilled and wanting to contribute to society in a more meaningful way, resulting in his move to America to become a teacher. He strives to reconcile student’s relationships with math. Mr. Lam wants to equalize education no matter the student's background. He believes that all students have the right to a good quality education, and he enjoys watching students learn to appreciate math. At his previous schools, he has worked with students who were struggling academically, so he understands how to give students the help they need. After growing up feeling pressured to excel in school, he wants to create a space where students feel loved and accepted regardless of their academic performance, ensuring they do not feel the same way he did. 

Outside of school, Mr. Lam enjoys ultimate frisbee, going to the gym, and experimenting in the kitchen. Every Sunday, he makes sure to set aside time to go to the park and play ultimate frisbee. After school, Mr. Lam goes to the gym to work out, as he believes it is important to keep good physical health. If he ever has spare time after school or on the weekends he likes to try out new baking recipes for his Instagram profile @cheatdaycooking. Mr. Lam finds ways to balance his work life with both creative and physical outlets. 

Being a new teacher at Masterman has given Mr. Lam the challenge of adjusting to a brand new schedule and managing his workload. Per quiz, he estimates spending about nine hours grading them for all of his 150 students, he also now has double the students he had at his previous school. He admits he overworks himself while doing his best to teach his 7th, 10th, and 11th grade students. Mr. Lam strongly values donating his time to helping students feel more comfortable and confident with math. His policy with work is to give enough to academically challenge the students, but not too much as to overwhelm them. He makes sure to be mindful to keep policies fair and sensitive to the workload of Masterman students.