Lien Nguyen
Mather High School
About
I am a proud Chicagoan who had the privilege of receiving a well-rounded education in a vibrant and culturally-diverse Chicago Public School system. I attended CPS from elementary and through high school. I received my B.S in biology and Secondary Education in Science and my master in education at Loyola University Chicago. With my love for the Windy city and the eagerness to give back to the community, I took on the opportunity to teach at Mather High School, a highly diverse Chicago Public School.
Prior to working full time at Mather, I had the opportunity to student teach at Mather and complete clinical observations at various CPS high schools. My experience with the richly diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the student body in these schools motivated me to obtain transitional bilingual and ESL endorsement. This additional training has given me extensive knowledge and skills to meet the needs of linguistically diverse students in multiple contexts, including mainstream and English as a second language classrooms.
My goal is to create a stimulating, highly interactive learning environment – one that fosters self-confidence by encouraging students to trust in their ability to realize their full potential. As a science teacher, I seek to teach content literacy and provide inquiry-based learning because it allows students to experiment with their own ideas and inquire about real world applications.
The opportunity to be part of the BEST program and working in Dr. Shin’s lab of Designing Injectable Mini-hydrogel Sphere for Tissue Regeneration has been eye opening. I appreciate the chance to experience, first hand, the bioengineering process performed in the lab. The hands-on-approach by Dr. Shin has guided me to create a customized bioengineering and NGSS aligned unit plan.
My goals for this unit is to incorporate a storyline where students experience the pathway to becoming a scientist. Through Bioengineering principles students will integrate real world application to their learning by integrating interdisciplinary, cultural relevance, scientific literacy, career aspirations, and personal interest as the focal point of the unit.