Exclusive interview with Mr. Zhang

"It really depends on the day. Sometimes, the workload is light, but as we approach the regents, I have to help you with lab makeup. Especially during exams, the workload becomes heavy because if some students haven't taken the exam or need more time, I have to stay back to give them additional time for makeup exams. As for the stress, it's manageable. The main challenge is the high workload. I have to grade your assignments, grade the exams, and constantly check Google Classroom to see if you've completed your assignments. If any assignments are missing, I have to remind you to do them."

"The biggest challenge is to make you interested in chemistry. I know that chemistry can be a difficult subject to grasp, and many chemical phenomena are not directly observable, which causes many students to lose interest."

"I consider my English to be relatively better. There are still some Chinese words that I don't fully understand, so I have downloaded a dictionary on my phone."

"I speak Chinese well because I only communicate with my parents in Chinese at home. When I was younger, my Chinese wasn't very good. In fifth grade, my parents wanted me to attend Chinese classes, but my friends at that time didn't think Chinese was cool. If I spoke Chinese, they would exclude me, so I didn't want to learn Chinese. Although my parents enrolled me in a Chinese school, I often skipped classes back then. I attended Chinese school for four years, but during those four years, I didn't learn anything substantial except for counting, writing my own name, and some simple Chinese characters. It wasn't until I started college that I felt useless. As a Chinese person, I couldn't write Chinese, and I didn't know how to speak it well. That's when I decided to take a year of Chinese classes at Hunter College, where I was studying. However, I realized that the university taught only basic Chinese, which I already knew, so I decided to learn on my own. I bought some books to study grammar and started reading novels to learn Chinese."

"I wake up at 6 a.m. every day, get ready, and arrive at school by 7 a.m. at the latest. If there's traffic or if I wake up late, I might arrive a bit later. The reason I come early is to prepare the materials needed for the day's lessons, such as worksheets. I have five classes in a day, and I teach all of them chemistry. There's a bilingual chemistry class, a regular chemistry class, and an ENL chemistry class (which helps students with lower English proficiency learn chemistry)."

"According to my contract, I can finish work at 2:50 p.m., but I choose to stay back until around four or five in the evening. I use that time after school to prepare the materials needed for the lessons scheduled for tomorrow or the day after."

"I would first complete the materials for the English courses and then translate them into Chinese myself. If there is a lot to translate, I also use Google Translate and Youdao Translate (translation software). Sometimes, directly using the computer for translation can lead to errors, especially with specialized terms. To ensure that the information I provide to you is accurate, I refer to Chinese chemistry textbooks to double-check."

"I believe I have the characteristic of thinking outside of the box(1). I like to find interesting and fun ways to teach you topics that may otherwise be dry and boring in chemistry."

(1)By thinking outside of the box, I mean exploring creative and unconventional ideas that are not limited or controlled by rules or traditions.

"Some people may say that the things I do are awkward, but I believe that the more awkward it is, the more you will enjoy it. And once you get used to it, it won't be awkward anymore; instead, it becomes really interesting, right? So, I always strive to find even more awkward things to make our lessons enjoyable and engaging."

"I had initially considered joining Math for America(1). Math for America is an organization that brings together exceptional science and math teachers. By becoming a member, one can receive scholarships that allow us to explore more intriguing and specialized course materials. They also organize conferences that many teachers attend. During these conferences, they introduce us to valuable and engaging educational methods. In terms of science teaching, they also present more advanced scientific concepts. However, I haven't seriously considered joining yet due to being too busy at the moment."

(1)Math for America is a non-profit organization that aims to establish a community of accomplished mathematics and science teachers. They work collaboratively and engage in continuous learning to have a lasting impact on schools, communities, and the entire industry.

 "Teachers are categorized into those with tenure and those without tenure. Currently, I do not have tenure as I am relatively new, which means I am not a permanent teacher yet. The principal frequently observes my classes to assess the quality of my teaching. If they determine that my teaching is satisfactory, I may have the opportunity to be appointed as a tenured teacher next year."

"I really enjoy listening to K-pop(1) songs. When I first arrived at FDR, I discovered that our school had a K-pop club, and it was supervised by Mr. Zhou, who is a chemistry teacher. I was interested in the club, so one day I asked Mr. Zhou if I could join. He said I could, and I attended a few sessions. At that time, there were already many students who were skilled at dancing, and they would teach other students how to dance. After a while, Mr. Zhou asked me if I would be interested in co-managing the K-pop club because he was becoming busier and didn't have time to run it anymore. I agreed to take on the role. So originally, it was organized by both Mr. Zhou and me, but as he got busier, he handed it over to me."

(1)K-pop is an abbreviation for Korean pop music. It refers to the popular music genre originating from South Korea that combines various musical elements and is performed by Korean idol groups or solo artists.

 "The nail art club was initiated by Teacher Xu, who is a Chinese teacher. She expressed her desire to organize the club, and when I jokingly agreed, she took it seriously. It all started when my family helped me apply some nail polish, and she saw it and jokingly suggested, "Oh, why don't we start a nail art club?" Since she had some students who were interested in nail art, we decided to go ahead and establish the club together."

"BLACKPINK (1) is my favorite K-pop group. Many people say that I like BLACKPINK because they are popular now, but I have been listening to them since their debut."

(1 )Blackpink is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa

"Before becoming a teacher, I have worked at various other places. I have worked as a front desk staff at a Chinese restaurant, at Uniqlo (1), and also at Starbucks."

(1 )Uniqlo is a Japanese casual clothing designer, manufacturer, and retailer. It is known for its simple and functional designs, affordable prices, and emphasis on quality materials. 

“Before, I originally wanted to become a doctor and earn some money before becoming a teacher. Becoming a teacher is something that will happen sooner or later, and I really want to be a teacher. But will I continue to be a teacher in the future? I think for now, I will continue, but let's see after five years. It's not that I don't like it anymore, but I also want to challenge myself in other industries. I feel that I shouldn't just stay in one place because the whole world is constantly changing. Just like now, we have Chat GPT, and the future holds endless possibilities."

(1) Want to know what Chat GPT is? Click the link to find out!（click to read How a human-friendly AI chat/learning software will change our future）