One of Roosevelt’s esteemed freshman English teachers–famous for his sigh-inducing icebreakers–is a force to be reckoned with amongst other faculty. In all seriousness, those who have crossed paths with Mr. Hoang hold him in high regard as one of the most down to earth people they’ve ever met, and they’re not wrong. As someone currently taking his class, the whole experience has been nothing short of blissful. His charismatic prose and the fact that he goes out of his way to uplift students is a trait you can’t teach. It’s something that comes from the heart.
Those who have taken his class can vouch for the fact that you’re bound to remember the experience for years to come. At its core, it’s an undeniably positive environment that promotes creativity and a passion for writing twenty-four seven. “I really care for my students’ belief in writing.” Mr. Hoang expresses. “That euphoric feeling of your students loving what you love is unmatched.”
Coming into the class at the start of the year as a freshman, I had a bit of a superiority complex as I assumed things would be too easy, but the skills I’ve gone over combined with the support from Mr. Hoang has made things better than I could have ever imagined.
“Don’t come lightly to the page, writing is an active way of thinking,” he states, “pour all of your thoughts and feelings into the writing. Be willing to push yourself no matter what.” That is something most aspiring writers can really resonate with, especially those here taking the Publications branch at Roosevelt. Writing and revising is such a tireless effort, but with Mr. Hoang, it makes it all that much more rewarding in the very end. My independent reading projects from the years prior were tragic to say the least, so seeing the improvement in just months alone makes me appreciate the class so much more than I already do.
Outside of education, Mr. Hoang and his escapades know no bounds as he connects himself to the Earth with nothing but meditation and home-made tea. He’s a hobbyist at heart, carefully making time to focus on avocations such as motorcycling, watching movies with his wife, walking his dog, and “pretending that I’m writing my novel.” However, it doesn’t take bare minimum effort to get to where he is in life. In fact, he’s been through the very thick and thin of it all. “My twenties were like a trail of fire, and I didn’t even start teaching until I reached twenty-eight.” Mr. Hoang shares. “When I finally turned twenty-eight, I realized that you can’t run from who you are forever.”
Teaching has always been an integral part of his personality, specific to the art of writing and all things literature. With how hard he’s worked tooth and nail to get where he is today, he deserves utmost support and respect from those around him.
Hoang more than anything is motivated, collected, and overall “just a very chill guy, It takes a lot to make me angry and or upset.” He says himself while staring up at the ceiling. His beliefs are firm in the fact that teaching as a concept is very rigid, and students are still fragile in their development. With care and compassion he inspires the community by handling every day with grace, one of his many aptitudes.
What people should take away from this is the fact that Mr. Hoang and other teachers are human too–all integrated with their own thoughts and feelings that carry over to their professions–and aren’t just one and done occurrences in your life that you don’t cherish. There’s something so insightful and benevolent about those who really care for their job and their diligence really shows when you pay attention to those around you, all in the same boat.
To end it all off, everyone knows about Mr. Hoang and his plethora of band T-shirts, but which one does he indulge in the most? Coming in on the top spot of his Spotify wrapped is none other than Elliot Smith, or “bed wetting music” as he puts it. He’s a man of culture, color, and courageousness which is something to really look back on and think, “am I ever going to have another teacher this genuinely astonishing?” The bar is high, and that is something you should be proud of, Mr. Hoang.
