episode four: anthony zhang, assistant principal

In this episode of the district; EDUCATING AB, TOGETHER, Peter Light interviews Anthony Zhang, an assistant principal at RJ Grey Junior High. Anthony shares his journey into education, his experiences as a teacher, and the impact he hopes to have as a leader. He discusses the importance of building relationships with students, the challenges and rewards of being an assistant principal, and the significance of diversity in educational leadership. The conversation highlights the personal stories and connections that shape the educational community in Acton-Boxborough.

Transcript

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Welcome to The District, Educating AB Together. I'm Peter Light, Superintendent of the Act in Boxborough Schools, and I'm glad you're here. This podcast is about the people who make our schools come alive every day and work with our kids. Each episode, we'll sit down with a member of our staff to hear their story, why they chose this work, why they're here in our community, and why this moment matters. Today, I'm joined by Anthony Zhang, one of our RJ Gray Assistant Principals. I'm excited to learn more about his journey and to share his perspective with you. So let's get started, Anthony. So you have been here a few years. And we just interviewed a guest a little while ago where they had been here 30 years. And you're a little bit newer to us than that. But tell us, what brought you here? Yeah, so this is year four of being an assistant principal at the junior high. um Yeah, I kind of stumbled into being an educator um entirely. um You know, in high school, I think as I was applying to colleges, I really binge watched the show Suits and I was like, yeah, I'm totally gonna be a lawyer. And at the time I really had wanted to be an immigration lawyer. um I come from a family of immigrants. I was the first one in my family to go to college. um And so, you know, education was certainly something that opened doors for me. m And yeah, at the time, uh as I was finishing college, I the choice between um law school, and one of my professors introduced me to Teach for America. And so that was an option, and it uh was either going off to law school, which didn't at the time feel right, or um teaching seventh grade ELA in New Bedford, Mass. uh yeah, I just really committed to... long winters, moved up from New Jersey, transplanted away from good bagels and pizza. But here we are, and yeah, I stepped into the classroom. I, at the time, had law school in the back of my mind of like, I can always go back, like they're not going anywhere. Stepped into the classroom, started working with kids, and just fell in love with it, and I think... what really drove me to want to be an immigration lawyer, I realized I was doing it in a different way with the families and kids I was working with. um And I did that for five years. I was a classroom teacher, seventh grade, um all five years. And then I saw the important work that my assistant principal was doing with kids and just the impact that they were having. And that's what really led me. to look into what it takes to be an assistant principal. And at the time, I was also coaching track and field. I was the head coach of a track and field team in New Bedford. And we went to an away meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. And my guys are going up in a relay against this other school that was kicking our butt. And it was acting box brawler. And I was like. Where is Acton-Boxborough? I gotta work there. Well, no, it was really inspiring. For someone that grew up in a small, predominantly white town, I was the only Asian um athlete on my own track and field team. it was actually like, it did raise an eyebrow, because I saw this relay team with, I think, two Asian athletes. And I was like, where in Massachusetts is that? um And yeah, they kicked our butt in that race. um Later on, when I was looking into um assistant principal openings, I had the two radiuses, the districts around where we were living at the time, and then districts that like, I really want to be there. uh There's something about that community that really... um It's just so exciting and Acton-Boxborough certainly was one of them for just the diversity that this district has. m And I applied and went through interviewing and just so grateful that I landed here. um And I have just had such a privilege of working with great mentors. This is my, again, fourth year in this role and I wouldn't be the assistant principal I am today without the people around me, the amazing teachers, families, and students. have you go back a little bit. One of the things you talked about was having watched the assistant principal you saw when you were early in your career as a teacher and the impact that they were having with kids. What were some of the impacts that you saw that that person brought that you hope to bring to our students and families here? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, she was amazing. It was always the most challenging moments of a student's school day that, you know, she was intervening on and you know, in some ways as a classroom teacher, was having those conversations with my own students when, you know, they had a really tough day, challenging class, m and I just knew I wanted to do more of that. You know, teaching English, teaching writing, reading comprehension, super important, and yet what really was fulfilling for me in this work was working with particularly middle school age kids in those challenging moments and watching them grow. um There are kids that I taught my first year that I still keep in touch with. uh One story that stays with me, she's um the student, she's in college now. Our relationship got off to a rough start. I was just learning how to teach, being someone that came from a political science background with no education um classes under my belt. She gave me a run for my money. um We really grew such a strong relationship over the course of that year. And it was through those tough moments that our relationship grew and she learned to trust me that I was here to stay and I was trying to help her through her journey. You know, I think assistant principals get a bad rap in the world. Do we? Well, I think you said it yourself. Sometimes you're the first person to interact with a student when they're just having a tough day. or a tough moment in a day and you're the face that they see. How do you help bring a student through that moment to be able to kind of get back to that place where they can re-engage with school and feel good about what they're doing? Yeah, I think about a couple of conversations I recently had with a couple of our new students that just started junior high and it's a new place. They're getting used to new routines and you know, when they come um into my office that I think I've decorated quite welcomingly. my old tractor, it's probably pretty similar to a middle school boy's bedroom. No, the first thing I try to keep in mind, m just to start with, just take a deep breath. Whether you're in trouble or not, whatever comes of our conversation, like, let's just take a deep breath. It's not the end of the world. We're gonna get through this moment that, you know, whatever it is that you're struggling with, that we're working through, it's gonna be okay. I think that's the message. And one of the things that I've come back to each year, one of the articles that one of my colleagues had shared early on in my journey as an assistant principal was the idea of 100 repetitions. um And for a student to kind of master something, master a routine or behavior, they might need 100 repetitions. And along the way, a student might be way past 100 and like, you'll never have to talk to that student about that thing. uh And yet others are on maybe repetition 20. And you're working them from repetition 20 to maybe repetition 40 and maybe by the time that... that they're done with junior high. They haven't mastered it yet, but you were along with them for that journey. And I think the important message to that article is just, you gotta stay with them. You gotta encourage them, and that you're that steady presence for them. Yeah, that's awesome. thinking about, there's a lot going on in education, and we're kind of really in a period of flux in education. What do you think it is about this moment in education that is so important to be able to step up as a leader. Yeah, in this moment, um I think uh when I finished my admin training, uh I don't know how I landed on it, but uh for us admin, we had to finish our PAL tasks, and they sent out statistics of, statistics for school administrators that year that passed and gotten their licensure. And in my year, I think it was 2021, there were three Asian people in Massachusetts that had earned their school administration license. And I was like, three? Like I am one, I've never been one of three in anything. And for me, in this moment, what was so important and encouraging was that I have to step into this, that there are so few. um school leaders that look like me. And there are many more students that do. um And that's why I'm so excited to work in this community, m to work with kids for them to see someone that does look like them and someone that doesn't. um And to have those opportunities to build those relationships. I was just talking to my principal this morning, we had back to school night yesterday, and every year I get to break out my rusty Mandarin. um in a conversation here and there with a family and they can tell like he's not that practiced and yet you know how many times have they gone to a back to school night and been been able to you know speak in their native tongue. Yeah that's great do they laugh at you? A little bit yeah yeah little bit. sure you know I think you know on LinkedIn it might say a polite uh Mandarin language. I can get around and order food and maybe hail a taxi, but that's about it. I understand. remember traveling to Germany earlier in my career and I had practiced a lot leading up to it. What I didn't remember was that I actually had to understand what someone was saying back to me. So I had all these things I could ask for, but I didn't understand any of the responses and that took me a little off guard. So I appreciate where you're at on that. You know, we have a couple minutes left today, but what's something that you think maybe people don't know about the role that the system principals play? Hmm. Yeah, I think my day, you know, I walk through the door and I just kind of never know how the day's gonna go. um And in some ways I get to be quite creative with um how I interact with students. You know, one of the things that we added this year is the standing desk and me and some of the other assistant principals are just in the hallway and just present and that's been really powerful. But in other ways, each year there are students that I work with really closely and I think part of my secret sauce with being an assistant principal that has certainly played to my strengths is when I've been able to build an incentive for a student, we have had at times gotten the opportunity to just play catch and connect on that level that like, not every time you see me is in that moment that you're struggling or having a really tough day. Like we can just play catch, shoot hoops and really just get to know each other and build a stronger relationship. to be able to do that, to have that opportunity has been awesome. All right, awesome. So just as we close out, got to ask you, what's one place in the community, what's your favorite place to go? Yeah, I think the place that I frequented most in the last like six months having uh a toddler at home has been Jonesfield. um We are there all the time uh and you know every so often I'll see my own students there and they'll be like you're a real person you don't live at school you know it is amazing for them to also see us in a different light um and yeah I think that's probably one of my favorite places in Acton. That is awesome. Thank you, Anthony. So, you know, I want to thank you for joining us um on this episode of the District Educating ABE Together. I'm Peter Light again, Superintendent of the Act and Boxborough Schools. I hope today's conversation with Anthony gave you a deeper look into the people and stories that shape our schools. Each of us plays a part in building this community and together we make this education possible. Be sure to tune in next time as we continue exploring the stories behind Why Me, Why Here, and Why Now. Until then, thank you for listening.