An Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) League basketball coach and proud father of two, Alfred Chan began teaching English at the high school in the middle of the previous academic year. Chan went to College of the Holy Cross to study English, where he first realized his passion for teaching, and later completed a master’s degree at Vanderbilt University. In his free time, he loves to spend time with his children, listen to all different types of music and try new recipes.
What was the experience of moving to a new school in the middle of the year like?
It was great. It was a little bit of a whirlwind at first because I was a stay-at-home dad for a few years, so I was out of teaching for a few years. But, getting back in the classroom was nice. The challenging part was picking up a curriculum I’d never taught before in the middle of the year and trying to maintain continuity for the students.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I think that throughout middle school and high school, I was fortunate to have great teachers. I always loved reading stories and literature when I was little, and I think having those English teachers in middle school and high school made literature very interesting for me. I got into education when I was a sophomore at Holy Cross and coached basketball on the side. I coached the Police Athletics League in Worcester. I coached a bunch of kids who were super talented, but their academics were a little bit behind, so I started a peer tutoring program where I got other students at Holy Cross to tutor these kids after school. That’s when I realized that education and coaching go hand in hand, and that’s when I decided that I wanted to be a teacher.
What was it like growing up in Hong Kong and then immigrating to the U.S.?
It was challenging because I had a group of friends when I was growing up, and I had to leave them behind. I think the language barrier was tough, but it wasn’t [too] tough because when I was growing up in Hong Kong, it was still a British colony so, in our primary school, they taught us English. But it wasn’t immersion, it was just English grammar and vocabulary and stuff like that. Also, when I was in elementary school in the U.S., it was the first time I ever encountered racism, and I realized that I was different from a lot of people. That was tough, but, again, I was fortunate to have teachers, and even friends, that I met who were very supportive. So, it was challenging, but I think it made me stronger and more aware of the world.
Do you have any hobbies or activities that you really enjoy?
I run my own travel AAU basketball club outside of school, so that takes up a lot of time. In the last five years, we’ve sent over 45 kids to the NCAA, including over 23 Division I basketball players. In the last few years, I’ve been fortunate to have two kids; one’s a two and a half year-old and the other one is three months old. So while juggling everything, that’s been my primary activity outside of school. I enjoy listening to a lot of different music and watching movies because I love a good story. And then, when I have the time, here and there, I play some video games.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
All kinds. Growing up, I listened to a lot of hip-hop, rap and R&B, but at the same time I also loved jazz, the blues, country, rock and roll, alternative rock, some metal and some Metallica. I think in terms of music, a lot of it relates to English Language Arts and the humanities as a great artist is able to tell a story through their music. I think that’s what draws me into all types of music.
What are you most excited for going into this new school year?
I’m excited just to be back in the classroom, and then connecting and getting to know all the students. I see teaching as a puzzle everyday; to try to engage every kid, to try to make the material and the content relatable and engaging for them and also to challenge them to be the best versions of themselves. So that’s what I’m looking forward to the most. I think teaching Future World Lit for the first time and being a huge science fiction fan has gotten me really excited.
