Biography and Experience

My name is Michelle Meyer Ngai and I am a teacher at Montara Avenue Elementary School in South Gate, California, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. After teaching second grade for seven years in Montara's Math/Science/Technology Magnet, I have accepted a position as the technology coach and coordinator for the 2009-2010 school year. A variety of life experiences have led me to where I am today and I continue to strive to find valuable opportunities that push me to grow personally and professionally. As a technology coach, I hope to make a measurable difference in the preparation of our students as valuable participants in an ever-changing global community.

THE BEGINNINGS

I was born in Compton and grew up in Downey, California. I had a fantastic childhood, with ample space to run and explore as well as the collective imaginations of five siblings to drive our creative play. Before the days of electronic screen-oriented entertainment, we were forced to find things to do and I remember elaborate games involving roller skates, skateboards, bicycles, giant tinker toy obstacle courses, furniture, branches, giant cardboard boxes and anything else we could get our hands on. Those were the days...

I began my educational career at "Tiny Tots" preschool at Furman Park in Downey. What I remember from my pre-school days is nap time and snack time (graham crackers and Hi-C to be specific). What everyone else remembers is that I brought home the chicken pox to share with my entire family. So generous already at such a young age. I continued my educational beginnings in kindergarten at Maude Price Elementary School. What I remember from kindergarten is having to memorize my name, address and phone number, and rotating through activity centers throughout the day. I think I was still shy then, but perhaps only because the teacher threatened to "send us to the witch doctor who would cut off our heads" if we didn't behave. Scared stiff might be a better phrase to describe my shyness.

I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School from first to eighth grade. I have very fond memories of my experience there and made many friends whom I have to this day. Due to extremely active involvement on the part of our parents, I was able to participate in a fantastic extracurricular sports program which included basketball and softball teams both at school and with the city parks league. In addition, as a member of our school's girl scout troop, I also took part in a variety of service projects and camping/travel opportunities. I continued on to St. Joseph High School in Lakewood, where I continued to play softball and developed a great interest in Spanish. I believe that throughout my early education, a combined effort by my parents and teachers instilled in me a great respect for education and an academic discipline that would carry me through to higher education.

COLLEGE, GRADUATE SCHOOL and STUDY ABROAD

I continued on to California State University, Long Beach. In 1989, I participated in a study abroad semester in London, England, which also included a spring break trip to Moscow. This was perhaps a turning point in my life, when I realized just how much of a world was out there. My outlook changed and this new perspective colored my subsequent life decisions.

I received my B.A. in Sociology in 1991, and after traveling through Europe for two months, I moved to New York in the Fall of 1991 to pursue an M.S.W. degree at Columbia University. As part of my field work experiences, I worked as a birth parent counselor at Spence-Chapin Services on the upper East side, and then as an after-school program leader/counselor at the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center in the Bronx.

When I graduated from Columbia University in 1993, I decided to pursue study of the Spanish language. It had been a personal interest since my high school days, and at that point I knew that learning Spanish would also enhance my professional career in social work. So I spent 9 months at the Centro de Estudios para Extranjeros at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico.

CAREER IN SOCIAL WORK

Indeed the Spanish came in handy when I was hired as a bilingual birth parent counselor at Holy Family Services, an adoption and foster care agency in Los Angeles, California. I worked for Holy Family for 4 years, from 1994 to 1998, making home and hospital visits, counseling birth parents regarding their options for their unplanned pregnancies, and arranging foster and adoptive placements for newborn children. This was an intense and at times very emotionally demanding job, but at the same time it was extremely rewarding. I felt I truly had an impact on the lives of my clients who were making crucial life decisions, and on the futures of their young children.

JAPAN EXCHANGE AND TEACHING PROGRAM

Deciding it was time for a change in my life, in 1998 I applied and was accepted to be a participant in the JET program. I had had an interest in Japan since my days in Mexico, when two of my classmates and good friends were Japanese. When the opportunity arose for me to apply to the JET program, I jumped at it and thankfully was chosen to be a participant. I spent 4 years living and working in Japan and this was definitely the most amazing and life-changing experience I have ever had. For those four years, I worked as an English teacher, and the only non-Japanese teacher, in two Japanese public high schools, one junior high school, and several elementary schools. In addition to my teaching duties, I also participated in a great number of extracurricular activities both to learn about Japan and its culture and to teach about the U.S. and its traditions. I joined the kyudo (Japanese archery) and taiko (Japanese drumming) clubs, and also took classes in ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) and the Japanese language. I taught an evening English conversation class at the town community center and organized several events to teach about American holiday traditions.

CURRENT TEACHING CAREER

During my time in Japan, I realized just how much I enjoyed teaching and the impact that I could have on a student's education. Therefore, upon my return to the U.S. in the summer of 2002, I decided I would pursue a career in education. I was hired into the Los Angeles Unified School District in July 2002 on a pre-intern credential, and began teaching second grade at Montara Avenue Elementary. I completed the necessary coursework and exams for my professional clear California teaching credential in November 2003 and continue to teach at Montara.

As I became part of the Magnet school in 2003, I have a great interest in incorporating technology across the curriculum in my second grade classroom. I have worked to improve my "tech savviness" and incorporate technology more and more into our daily classroom activities, but realize there is much more that can be done. Therefore, in Fall 2006, I began a new program at California State Univeristy, Long Beach, to pursue my Master's degree in Education, with an option in Educational Technology.

As I finish up the last courses and comprehensive exam for my Master's, I am extremely excited to continue to improve in my role as the technology coach and coordinator at my school and put to use all the knowledge I have gained during my time in this program.