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Hello! My name is Wayne Zhang! This is my third year at Amundsen, and I am certified to teach Social Studies and French. I currently teach World Studies across different levels. 

 

In undergraduate, I studied Political Science and Education Studies at Yale University. Later, I moved abroad working as an English teacher: first in Strasbourg, France through a Fulbright Fellowship, and second, in Changsha, China, through the Yale-China Association. Before coming to Amundsen, I worked at the Chicago Public Education Fund, while pursuing a Masters of Science of Education at Northwestern University. I am currently in the second year of working toward my National Board Certification in Social Studies Teaching. 

 

As a world history teacher, my goal is to help students gain historical skills while growing into engaged, curious, and informed citizens of the world. Everything in my class revolves around the question: how can we make the world a better place? 

 

If students sometimes think that world history is a pointless exercise in memorizing old, irrelevant facts that they could just Google, I want them to emerge from my class thinking of it as a dynamic, urgent field full of intriguing mysteries and the answers to today's pressing issues. My educational philosophy centers student voice in the classroom, both as co-creators of historical knowledge and leaders in their learning communities. 

 

Outside of class, I co-sponsor Amundsen's Model UN team, which teaches kids to compete in international diplomacy, and AAPI+ club, which is a safe space for kids from all identities to celebrate their identities, share their cultures, and explore Chicago. 

 

Outside of Amundsen, you can find me cooking, working out at CrossFit, practicing Chinese and French, and watching reality TV (Survivor, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Bachelor, etc.)

 

All assignments and important announcements are posted on individual Google Classrooms. You can view my syllabus below.