Tell us about yourself! 

I have been teaching for over 13 years. I currently teach at Josiah Quincy Elementary School, a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program in Chinese and the largest elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. I use my first language, Cantonese Chinese, to support the multilingual learners in my class, and I serve as the language assessment facilitator of my school for almost 400 multilingual learners. I am also a tri-chair of my School Site Council, which is comprised of teachers and families elected to serve as the school’s governing body. In addition, I’m a proud board member of the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MaAEYC).  

I’m also a lifelong learner, and my love of learning is what keeps my enthusiasm for teaching at the forefront. I am a fellow at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Institute for Early Education Innovation and Leadership, where I’ll graduate this spring. After graduation, I’ll begin working toward my master’s degree in educational leadership at Harvard University. 

Tell us about the setting where you teach. 

In 2022, we became an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme school. Sixty percent of our students are multilingual learners; 16 percent are students with disabilities; 58 percent are from households with low incomes; and 80 percent require specialized supports and services. To fully meet students’ cultural and educational needs, we engage and partner with our local community. We also encourage learners to be curious and independent and to understand their roles as global citizens. As an IB school, students are taught a language other than English. Our school focuses on Mandarin, and instruction begins in K1. This means that many of the children in my classroom are learning more than two languages.  

Our school is also working to become a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program, capable of delivering instruction in students’ home languages as they gain proficiency in English. We hope to hire more World Language Mandarin teachers and procure more educational tools and materials. In the meantime, we continue to focus on creating accessible learning experiences by ensuring that instruction is delivered in students’ home languages as needed and by supporting their translanguaging practices. We also integrate multimodal approaches and draw from students’ funds of knowledge.    

Please describe your work in an early learning setting with multilingual learners.  

While Cantonese and Mandarin are distinct dialects of Chinese, they share similarities in terms of vocabulary, grammar structures, and writing systems. Our classroom assistant speaks Mandarin Chinese and contributes so much to the children’s learning. Because I am fluent in Cantonese Chinese, I can draw on my expertise to provide clarifications, examples, and analogies to support children as they make connections between the two languages. For example, I use Cantonese to explain certain concepts or pronunciation rules in Mandarin.  

As someone who teaches multilingual learners in BPS, I feel fortunate to have access to a curriculum called Focus on 4s. This curriculum, developed by teachers working in the classroom, is child-centered and developmentally appropriate. We have coaches who come to observe us and give feedback. They help us make sure we're effectively delivering instruction in response to the developmental needs of 4- and 5-year-old children. (Click here to learn more about how BPS implements developmentally appropriate practice.) 

What strategies or approaches do you use to build upon children’s individual and family strengths, cultural backgrounds, and experiences? 

Drawing on families’ funds of knowledge is a school-wide initiative. At the start of each school year, I have families complete a questionnaire that asks about their experiences and their hopes for their children. I also involve families to create better connections with them and their children. This provides a more complex view of the children and families I serve and helps us develop deeper relationships. I can also better connect with children’s home cultures and act as a bridge when needed. 

During the first week of school, I ask families if they are willing to share their funds of knowledge—these might be a recipe, a story, or a significant event in their lives. Depending on our units of study throughout the year, I’ll contact those who expressed a desire to share. One recent example involves a child’s dad who had a passion for photography. I invited him in when we were doing a unit on reflections and shadows. We toured the school together, and he photographed the reflections and shadows that the children identified. Then he compiled the images into a book that he shared with the class. 

What is something important a child has taught you? 

In general, the biggest thing I’ve learned from my time with children is being humble and that it’s okay to make mistakes. Children have called me out when I’ve spoken out of turn, given the wrong directions at the wrong time, or gone off schedule. As a result of listening to them, I’ve been able to receive helpful feedback. 

How do you show children and families that you value them? 

I recognize and celebrate the diverse cultural, linguistic, and family backgrounds of the children in my classroom and their families. By doing so, I can incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices and integrate diverse perspectives and experiences into the curriculum. I work to create an inclusive environment that embraces and values each and every child and their family. Many students at my school, including those in my class, come from various Asian heritages—such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other backgrounds—that celebrate the Lunar New Year. This holiday provides an opportunity for children to share and celebrate their cultural traditions. Through special events, activities, and lessons centered around the Lunar New Year, we deepen our understanding of Asian cultures, build cultural awareness and appreciation, and foster a sense of unity and inclusivity. This year, my class enjoyed making Chinese lanterns, creating kumquat crafts, painting beautiful pieces of art, and learning a song and dance to celebrate this special holiday.  

Describe some ways in which you communicate with families to build and maintain positive and reciprocal relationships. 

I value family members’ contributions and work to empower them as partners in their children’s education. I use a platform called Talking Points, which my school provides, to facilitate two-way communication with families in their home languages. I also enjoy writing newsletters as a way to share news about our classroom. I actively involve families in decision-making processes by seeking their input and participation in classroom activities, events, and projects.  

We recently had a class party to celebrate the completion of our first unit of study, and 99 percent of the families attended! The unit focused on building our community and included activities like field trips to local grocery stores and markets. We have a Chinatown that is a block away from our school; it’s a great site for the children’s cultural immersion. We continued our unit by learning about architecture and subway lines, and we highlighted Black architects for the school’s Black Excellence showcase. Our class studied the work of Baron Batch, a muralist and community architect from Pittsburgh. The children used construction materials—straws, pipe cleaners, and cardboard—and tools to explore the materials and build structures on their own. I displayed their creations so that our class was like an art museum. It was an enormous success: families were excited to see their children’s work displayed, and students were excited to share their hard work that reflected their learning.  

What is your proudest accomplishment as an educator? 

I am proud of all my professional accomplishments, but I appreciate the experiences when I’ve been able to represent my school and fellow teachers in elected positions, such as serving on my school’s School Site Council, as a Boston Teachers Union representative, and most recently as a MaAEYC board member.  

What experience solidified your focus on early childhood education advocacy and policy?  

As a teacher for the BPS, I am a member of one of the largest teachers’ unions in the country. In 2022, we were concerned about state-imposed interventions and losing our union. I worried about how this would impact our benefits and livelihood. My collegues and I attended a BPS District Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting, where we listened to testimonies from Boston City Mayor Michelle Wu, state senators, Boston City Council members, teachers, family members, and community members—all fighting against the overexertion of state control on BPS. There we witnessed the power of the Board of Elementary and its impact at the district level. I felt like I needed to do more to advocate for getting necessary resources and improving teaching and learning conditions for educators and children, so I became more active: I started working with NAEYC, and I attended the Public Policy Forum in 2023. I’ve also lobbied with MaAEYC, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Boston Teachers Union.  

How does your role as an early childhood advocate extend beyond your work with Boston Public Schools?  

I took part in NAEYC’s 2023 Public Policy Forum with MaAEYC in Washington, DC. There, I joined forces with other members and experienced how our collective voices could influence decisions that would impact the profession, children, and families. It was an eye-opening experience. There was one early childhood educator participating on a panel who worked in a child care setting in western Massachusetts. She and I had a chance to talk more, and I learned how little she was compensated for her work. I was amazed that she was working full-time, going to school, and had at-home responsibilities as a parent.  

I was one of the few public school teachers in attendance at the policy forum. I began to ask, “How do I advocate? How do I make sure I’m using my voice to represent and advocate for early childhood education professionals who are doing such important work without appropriate compensation, benefits, and other supports?” My time at the Public Policy Forum inspired me to consider how I can do more to support others in the profession.  

What is a children’s book that you like to share with the children in your setting, and what impact has it had on their learning? 

It’s important to share books that feature characters children identify with, so they can see themselves reflected in the story. I read My Day with Gong Gong, by Sennah Yee and illustrated by Elaine Chen, to students for the first time this year. The story is about a young Chinese American girl spending the day with her grandpa, who does not speak English. The children were able to make connections to their families and intergenerational relationships as well as to emotions like joy and love.  

What is a future professional goal that you have for yourself, and how does belonging to NAEYC help? 

I was recently accepted into Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and hope to pursue a PhD thereafter. I aim to work for and shape policies that benefit children and educators by advocating and fighting for adequate funding for schools, professional pay for teachers, and equitable educational opportunities for all. I would like to pursue a career in system-level leadership to help empower children and teachers. A specific goal of mine is to join NAEYC’s Affiliate Advisory Council. NAEYC's success depends on active and engaged membership, and I want a greater role in the organization’s governance to foster a sense of involvement and commitment. 

How has being part of NAEYC positively impacted your teaching and/or interactions with children? 

I am a NAEYC member because I believe in NAEYC’s vision, advocacy work, and policy objectives. Being a member allows me to contribute to efforts aimed at improving policies, funding, and regulations related to early childhood education. In addition, NAEYC provides standards and quality assurance. As the NAEYC accreditation point person for my grade level, I stay current on the research-based standards for early childhood programs that emphasize developmentally appropriate practices. I not only align my own teaching practices with NAEYC’s standards, but I also encourage my colleagues to do the same, so they too can create high-quality learning experiences for children. 

Photograph: courtesy of Wai Chin Ng
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