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lessons and labs,” Byun says. Along with her fellow instructors, she pondered how to create a science program worth implementing. “How do I make an experiment not a cookie cutter; how do I get them [students] to go and do science that’s authentic to them?” This fall, Byun took this sentiment from the small Nueva lake to Paly’s ocean of a campus. As a new teacher, she experienced the inherent struggles of being the new kid at a school. “It’s hard being a new teacher, you’re kind of being tested,” Byun says. “I want them [students] to know I’m a teacher who cares for them, but how do they see that?” Fortunately, Byun has been able to make the transition smoothly thanks to the help of friendly fellow staff and administration. “My team and the science department, they’re so nice and joyful,” Byun says. “People like being here, and that’s why I like the community.” Cheering from the sidelines Byun tries to give students the support she feels she lacked at times as a student. “I think I hold my kids to high standards, for sure,” Byun says. “But I do believe in growth, I do believe that not every student might get it the first time around. But I also believe that every student can get BITTERSWEET BACKGROUND Byun recalls her high school years in her biology classroom. it eventually if they’re willing to try.” “I’m not going to teach it [biology] the way I learned it,” Byun says. She strives to emphasize the Byun’s motto for teaching is to emphareal-world connection for material learned in class. Photo by Angela Liu. size the connection of in-class material to truly wanted to do: help people. In teaching her. Her questions went largely real-world events. turn, Byun realized teaching would be the unanswered, so now, as Her efforts to draw way to accomplish her goals. a teacher, Byun’s mis- I do believe that attention to the broader Byun’s father was less than thrilled. sion is to make science implications of biology not every student have not gone unnoticed. “There was a lot of disappointment. I relevant to her students. think he felt like he spent all this money, “I’m not going to might get it the first “She has a more and that I should become a doctor to sup- teach it [biology] the scenario-based teaching time around. But port them [my parents],” Byun says. “But I way I learned it,” Byun style instead of theoretloved my job … I felt a lot of love from my says. “Now, it’s so imical-based,” Advanced I also believe that students.” portant for kids to see Placement Biology stuNow, years later, Byun and her father those types of connec- every student can dent junior David Foster are able to see eye-to-eye. “I know that he tions, like why is this says. “You can connect it get it eventually if has high expectations of me, and now that important? Why do we to the world.” they’re willing to I’m a parent myself I know why he pushed care about this?” Although Byun’s me,” Byun says. “I do appreciate that he did Before being swept try.” pompoms have long since that for me, but going through it, it was into to Paly’s structured been stored away, she still hard.” curricula, Byun helped remains a cheerleader for — VIVIAN BYUN, science teacher pilot the new science her students. Let’s talk teaching curriculum at the Nueva Upper School in “I’ll feel successful if my students feel As a student, Byun would always San Mateo. empowered that they can answer any quesquestion her father and her teachers about “I was spending so many hours just tion because they know how to,” Byun says. why they were teaching her what they were building things, generating ideas about “My job is to help you get there.” v
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