Vu Pham: Woodson HS Virtual Visit offers new perspective

Woodson teachers hope these visits help to increase the number of underrepresented minority teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Vu Pham is a junior at VCU double majoring in applied mathematics and secondary teaching preparation mathematics. He knew that he wanted to go into education when he started at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County in 2014. This summer, he begins pursuing a Master of Teaching with a concentration in Math Education in the School of Education. Pham recently joined 20 other SOE students in a new SOE pilot program that allowed him to virtually observe a classroom experience at his old high school – with an eye toward becoming a teacher.

Headshot of Vu Pham, a student in SOE's M.T. program with a concentration in math education.
Vu Pham (Courtesy Photo)

What was it like to virtually revisit your old high school?

Going back as a potential future teacher, I paid close attention to how teachers spoke and how they connected to students. I interacted with teachers and heard their experiences. It was really eye opening. It helped me appreciate how much effort the teachers at Woodson put into their work.

How was this experience different from your high school experience?

I saw first-hand how teachers are adapting to the COVID education world that we're in now. In the class I observed, one teacher was online and one was in-person. I saw how they interacted with each other to bridge the two learning experiences. I went into a breakout room with the main teacher and saw how she connected with students, not only by teaching mathematics but by pushing them toward their goals. It was interesting to see how a veteran teacher could connect with her students beyond just providing content and knowledge, to supporting them beyond the classroom.

Would you want to go back to Woodson to teach?

This was the best experience I’ve had in college! It was super-easy to connect with administrators and teachers. I would love to be mentored by teachers at Woodson. Going back to my old high school and working there would be coming full-circle in a satisfying way. I think Woodson would be one of my top schools to teach in.

I want to thank Dr. Lenhardt and Dr. Hewan and the team who organized the event. I will be doing my practicum and student teaching in Richmond, so it was really important for me to experience another school. Richmond is different from NOVA, Charlottesville, or Blacksburg. Giving students exposure to different teaching styles, methods and environments is really important.

This experience gave me an extra boost of confidence that this is absolutely the field I want to go into!

Feedback about the pilot program

Margaret Shapiro, Spanish teacher and equity lead, Woodson High School:
“The lack of diversity in staffing in our county is a glaring problem that deprives students of teachers with whom they can make deep connections and in whom they can see themselves. It also deprives teachers of diverse perspectives from which all of us can learn and grow. To me, this program is one of the most proactive ways to broaden our pool of prospective teachers of color: we aim to increase their exposure to the teaching profession and their interest in it, and to allow them to develop relationships with current teachers who ultimately can become models and mentors to them.”

Jordan Black, special education teacher and equity lead, Woodson High School:
“My hope is that this program will create lasting connections between VCU students and Fairfax County Public Schools to facilitate and familiarize the application and hiring process and ultimately increase the amount of underrepresented minority teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools.”

Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D., SOE recruitment specialist:
“I believe deeply in connecting students to career experiences throughout their program. This program allowed us to support our community partner along with connecting our students to passionate professionals in the field. It is a way to create easy networking opportunities for students, as well as create a pipeline of future educators into our Virginia K-12 schools.”