The life of Mr. Chan, a teacher who uses the power of science to shape the future.
Trinity Advincula-De Los Angeles
Staff Writer
Mr. Chan, a new teacher with a lot to offer. He’s got science, and he’s got motivation.
Trying to juggle between teaching life and personal life can get quite difficult. For Mr. Chan, he’s always caught up in papers, but in his free time, he still tries to squeeze in his hobbies and being active.
“I’m a very busy person. I’m always doing something,”Mr. Chan said. “When I get home I have a lot of grading to do. [But] If it’s a sunny day and I have time, I’ll go out for a bicycle ride, work on my cars, or work in the yard.”
Mr. Chan takes interest in activities like scuba diving, racing cars competitively, hiking, bicycling both competitively and leisurely. Before he became a teacher, he was an electrical engineer, so he is also interested in electronics.
“I designed chips and circuit boards for computers, and internet routers,” Mr. Chan said. “[I was in] Silicon valley [for] several well-known companies in Silicon Valley.”
Even though he was initially an engineer, what made him motivated to become a teacher was when he was helping his daughter with some math problems. Previously, he had volunteered in her classroom before she went to high school, so he had some experience with students already.
“That’s when it occurred to me that maybe that’s what I should try to do” Mr. Chan said. “And so I went back to college and….[that’s when I got my] teaching credential…and I restudied math and physics.”
Ever since, Mr. Chan has really enjoyed teaching at American and working with the other teachers. Before he came to teach at American he was offered many jobs, but ultimately he took the one here at American because it gave him a position he wanted. Here, Mr. Chan gets to do what he loves and gets to share his interest for physics with all of his students. He especially enjoys teaching the students who are about to go to college to help them figure out what career path they want to take, and what field they want to study in.
“They’re really excited to go on to the next level,” Mr. Chan said. “If I can help them to choose where they want to go, then I’d like to do that. I end up mentoring students as they figure out what path they want to follow after high school.”
Mr. Chan hopes to help shape the future generation by making sure they understand science. For those who do choose a career in a STEM field, he wishes to inspire them and guide them on a path for success. For those who don’t wish to pursue a scientific career, he believes that science is still an important subject to learn so that they are educated in shaping the world and society.
“My goal is to share [my experience and expertise], and if a lot of people get excited about it, great.” Mr. Chan said. “And even if they don’t, I think it’s very important for everyone to have a basic understanding of science to make important choices. They need to understand how the world works.”
Eagle Era 