Dream Realized for Chantilly Teacher
Luc Nguyen has spent close to 20 years working toward his dream career of being a teacher. The Chantilly High School English teacher knew “with great certainty” that he would become a teacher from the time he was in kindergarten.
“Throughout my time as a student, I found that the act of teaching was much more interesting to me than the academic content itself,” he says. “I started observing all of my teachers and their methods.” Nguyen even kept assignments that he envisioned using in his future classroom.
Because of this, his teaching is greatly shaped by his own experience in the Fairfax County public schools he grew up attending—including Canterbury Woods Elementary School, Frost Middle School, and Woodson High School.
Although he applied to school districts across Northern Virginia, Nguyen found that Chantilly High School felt like the best fit. Additionally, “I truly believe that FCPS provided me with an excellent education that prepared me for life beyond graduation,” he says. “I also like the idea of giving back to a community that did so much for me.”
Nguyen also got early teaching experience at Vietnamese school. Nguyen’s parents are Vietnamese immigrants and wanted their children to read, speak, and write in their native language. Because their parents still spoke Vietnamese at home, Nguyen and his sister had an advantage over other students in the school, and he “graduated” from the classes at a young age.
Then, he started volunteering as a teacher assistant. “I gained some valuable experience in this role, as I became accustomed to speaking in front of large groups of students and working with smaller groups and individuals,” he says. Being a child of immigrants has also helped prepare Nguyen to relate to students of immigrant parents. “There are certain experiences that are universal to those who grow up with multiple cultures,” he says.
Nguyen’s enthusiasm for teaching and connecting with his students contributes to a positive atmosphere at Chantilly. “Luc does an incredible job preparing students to write and communicate in the professional or post-secondary education setting,” says Zachary Winfrey, assistant principal. “His instruction is laced with connections to real world scenarios that students can understand. His classroom is rarely empty, even during his planning periods or after-school. Students and staff enjoy his youthfulness and candid approach towards the joy of education.”
Nguyen wanted to teach English because, “Building connections with my students is my top priority,” he says. “I get to connect with them through discussion and writing. I think that teaching others how to communicate in a coherent way is fun and rewarding.”
Outside of class time, Nguyen also enjoys connecting with students on the yearbook staff as their advisor. If he could give advice to himself as a student, he says he would have encouraged himself to try more activities.
“For better or worse, I put all of my eggs into the teaching basket pretty early on,” he says. “Essentially every decision I made through my classes and extracurricular activities was at least partially rooted in the desire to become a better future educator.” Now, working with the yearbook staff, “I see firsthand how meaningful student-produced publications can be. Advising the yearbook program has been the most meaningful experience in my teaching career so far, and I wish I had been involved earlier.”
Looking back over his own growth and education, Nguyen has several pieces of advice for his students who are looking forward to their own post-high school experiences.
“First, I want them to appreciate the education that they are receiving through FCPS,” he says. “There are so many other young people who don’t have access to the [same] resources and opportunities.
He also hopes his students learn the importance of balance. “Some students are way too invested in their academics, to the point where they emerge with sterling grades but limited real-world experience and social skills. There are also students who don’t take their academics seriously enough and invest too much of their time in other interests. I want my students to take their education seriously, while also maintaining their physical and mental health through meaningful experiences with friends and family.”
And finally, he hopes students leave his class with a desire to “learn more and improve themselves.”
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