Amy Chen

I didn’t post last week but I’ll make up for it. We’re leaving the FCHS world and making our way to Williamsburg (home of my alma mater) to meet Amy Chen. Where to start with Amy? Amy came into my life when I started my graduate program in Curriculum and Instruction following my undergraduate studies at William & Mary and she was always there to offer words of warmth and encouragement and the motivation to continue when I questioned my capabilities in the classroom (student teaching can be a demoralizing experience haha).

Amy was the Noyce Scholar mentor for the School of Education at William & Mary. The Noyce program provides future STEM teachers an opportunity to learn more about successful practices in high-needs schools and Amy did the most beautiful job in organizing opportunities for us to do observe in all types of school settings and engage in conversations with dedicated and passionate educators. In teacher fashion, she would give us the space to engage with the experiences on our own, try new things (and fail 😉), but bolster us when we needed our faith restored (this is why her two amazing girls whom we all LOVED are so lucky because what else could one ask for in a mom). And of course, how can I forget the way Amy and Professor Chen (no secret that Jason Chen is the best professor ever and I aspire to be him hahaha) are an education power couple and lit up every get together with sharing their sweet stories about the classroom, exposing us to new ciders and wines, and creating a sense of family amongst the Noyce Scholars.

After finishing grad school, Amy decided to go back to the classroom and my heart is overflowing with gratitude for the world knowing that it has once again put her in front of kids who will only grow in their humanity through knowing her and her love.  

Read her interview below:

1. Why did you choose to become an educator? 

I am an educator because it is how I serve my community. Over the past 16 years, that service has taken the form of classroom teaching and delightful engagement with elementary and middle school students, mentoring talented college students now leading innovations and improvements in their own classrooms, and writing culturally diverse, relevant math curriculum. My heart is full and happy when I am able to spend time with young people and help them shine and love learning.

2. Do you have a memory from your career that stands out? 

I have many special memories but I’ll share this one to encourage current teachers to keep doing the essential and transformative work of education and to inspire more people to be actively involved in education. As a mentor for the Noyce Scholars Program at William & Mary, I led a practicum course to provide experiences for our scholars to spend time in high-need schools. We also read and discussed Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap by Dr. Paul Gorski. Through campus collaborations, we invited Dr. Gorski to speak with our Noyce scholars. Here’s a quote from his book, “[Teachers] have a substantial amount of power to mitigate inequalities. We have the power and, of course, the responsibility to ensure that we are not reproducing inequitable conditions in our own classrooms and schools….I believe in the transformative power of teachers…in the commitment to walk into classrooms and schools full of students, dedicated, despite all the challenges, to do right by each of them…”

3. What big ideas for change do you envision in education? 

I would love to see substantial community involvement, investments, and partnerships in K-12 education, more volunteers in every classroom from all ages and backgrounds, and abundant opportunities for students to go on field trips, explore in nature, engage in community service, take on leadership roles, and advocate for positive change.

4. What does your self-care look like? 

Taking long walks with my husband, trying new vegetarian recipes, good red wine and dark chocolate, snuggling in bed with my daughters and reading.