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Yale Career Panels: A Candid View of the K-12 Teaching Profession

Teaching has become an increasingly popular career destination for Yale graduates. This panel will focus on kindergarten through high school, a vitally important part of our education system. Teachers in the physical and virtual classrooms of kindergarten through high school learners are the crucial linchpins in shaping the academic and personal development of students.  These educators specialize in a wide range of subjects including literature, social studies, the arts, history, and STEM.  They are adept at customizing their teaching methods and materials to meet the diverse needs of students at different grade levels and with multiple demographic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Besides their vital classroom-based role, educational professionals concurrently or alternatively have opportunities to become curriculum development and educational technology specialists, educational consultants, school administrators, instructional coaches, special education coordinators, education policy analysts, and textbook authors.

We have a diverse panel of individuals whose careers have been in or intersected with the trends and careers in K-12 teaching.  Our four panelists represent differing perspectives. The panel discussion will be broadcast via an interactive streaming video platform that will allow Yale students and alumni to ask questions of the panel and interact with each other.

Topics:

•    Where is the profession heading (good and bad)?
•    How do you get into the profession and what is the typical career path?
•    What are the myths versus the realities?
•    What are the characteristics of people who tend to do well and are happy in the profession?
•    What types of people tend not to do well or end up unhappy and why?
•    If you don’t stay in the profession until retirement, what are the exit routes to other professions?

This event is the 60th in a series of events covering different professions and career issues. There have been 50 Yale Career Panels, 9 Yale Career Fireside Chats and 1 Yale Career Conversations events. Organized 12 years ago by a group of Yale alumni volunteers, these panels strive to provide candid, unvarnished views of featured professions. The volunteer organizers of the Yale Career Panels are Daisy Du, Justin Kosslyn, Zahid Lahani, Vivian Lin, Julie Sohn, Gale Tenen Spak, Trish Takemoto, Grace Young, and Peter Young. This panel was organized by Gale Tenen Spak.

Panelists

Hung Pham ’15, Public H.S. Physics and Chemistry Teacher, Bay Area CA

Hung Pham is an award-winning, equity-oriented chemistry and physics teacher in the Bay Area with 7 years of experience. He's known for helping underprivileged students and training other teachers. He has worked at companies like Genentech, Google, and Stanford Engineering during his summers, using these experiences to make his classes practical and engaging.

After graduating from Yale and starting his teaching career with Teach For America, Hung is now pursuing a Master's degree in education at Johns Hopkins. He plans to become a National Board-Certified Teacher and focuses on supporting students who face educational challenges, including low-income students and English Language Learners.

Grace Kim ’22, Public Middle and H.S. Special Ed Teacher, Harlem NYC

Grace Kim is a teacher and entrepreneur, devoted to empowering the youth of the future. Since 2016, she has partnered with international NGOs and non-profit organizations to make strides toward ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality educational opportunities for all people. Currently, she teaches Geometry, Biology, AP Psychology, College Algebra, and Financial Literacy classes at Columbia Secondary School in Harlem. Her pedagogical approach focuses on culturally sustaining the social and emotional development of students, an approach she has been researching since her time in the Educational Studies program at Yale.

When not teaching, she serves on the boards of 1stGenYale and Yale Alumni Educators, coaches cheerleading for ages 11- 18, and creates graphic design projects through her platform, gracefulperfect.com. In her free time, you can find her chatting over a cup of coffee, visiting art museums, or trying new food!

Lindy Mandel, CICS Charter School, K-6, Liberal Arts/Social Studies, Chicago, IL

Lindy Mandel is currently in her 13th year of teaching 6th-grade English and History. In recognition of her dedication to education and her students, she was honored with the 2022 Illinois Network of Charter Schools Teacher of the Year Award for her innovative and effective teaching methods. Starting in 2023, Lindy will transition out of the classroom into the role of Lead Instructional Coach, providing support to K-8 teachers. In this position, she will leverage her experience and knowledge to help teachers enhance their practice and improve student outcomes.

Beyond the classroom, Lindy has extended her impact by contributing to various educational initiatives. For the past five years, she has served as a Summit Learning Fellow, providing training to new teachers, and sharing insights on curriculum design and pedagogy to enhance student outcomes. Additionally, she participated as a development teacher for the Responsive Classrooms Middle School Advisory Program, contributing to the building and shaping of criteria for the Center for Responsive Schools. This effort paved the way for the creation of an online survey tool designed to empower teachers in supporting their students' social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and competencies. Lindy has also collaborated with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to advise on ways to improve parent engagement, recognizing the vital role of parental involvement in students' academic success.

When not teaching Lindy enjoys exploring Chicago’s restaurants and outdoor spaces.

Ralph Pantozzi, PhD, Mathematic/Administration, Kent Place Private School for Girls, Summit, NJ

Ralph Pantozzi has taught middle and high school mathematics in New Jersey for 32 years. As a teacher, he is known for for innovative lessons where students move, play, experiment and investigate inside and outside the classroom walls. His lessons have been featured by the National Museum of Mathematics, NPR’s Science Friday, and in the book he co-authored, Exploring Calculus with the Geometer’s Sketchpad. Through presentations, workshops, summer institutes, and webinars, he has shared teaching ideas and activities with thousands of teachers across the country. Ralph was awarded the Princeton University Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching in 1999.

Ralph taught preservice teachers at Rutgers University for ten years and supervised instruction in the NJ public schools for eight, and has mentored other teachers throughout his career. Through work with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America, he brings together K-12 and collegiate educators to support students in the transition from high school to post-secondary math. Ralph was recognized by the White House in 2017 with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.

Moderator

Julie Sohn ’14, McKinsey & Company

Julie is currently an Associate at McKinsey & Company in New York. Prior to McKinsey, she spent five years in the insurance industry in various capacities, including internal consulting, post-merger transformation, and advanced analytics.

Julie is originally from Seoul, South Korea, and holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. 

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