When Mountain View School Assistant Principal Kimberly Thomas called world history teacher Minh "Steve" Tran to her office recently, she asked what projects his class was doing — and then requested his resume and photograph. So he figured his days at the school were numbered.

"I thought I was going to be transferred and she was going to help me find a job," said Tran, 25.

Instead, at the direction of Principal Jim Oliver, Thomas submitted his name and information to VFW Post 5412 of Burke for consideration for its Teacher of the Year award — and he won.

"When he received that award [Dec. 19] and we went into his classroom, his students were so proud of him, they actually cried," said Thomas. "And that, right there, said he was the right one to nominate."

Born in Falls Church and raised in Sterling, Tran attended JMU, receiving a bachelor’s in social studies in December 2006, and a master’s in education in December 2007. He began teaching at Mountain View in January 2008 but, initially, hadn’t planned on becoming an educator.

"Growing up, I had to take care of my three, younger siblings while my mom worked," he said. "And since I’m the firstborn, I also raised all my cousins. So I was used to taking care of children and directing their instruction while we all did homework together."

THEN, IN Tran’s junior year of college, a friend’s mother who was a teacher told him how rewarding she found her job and encouraged him to become a teacher, too. So he began taking education classes and discovered he had a knack for the profession.

"I’m half Vietnamese and half Chinese, and I was the only minority in my education classes," he said. "In practicums, it felt normal to be teaching others, and a lot of my teachers said I was able to get along well with students and relate to them."

Later, he applied to Mountain View for a teaching position — although he wasn’t familiar with alternative schools. "I didn’t know what to expect," said Tran. "But I said yes because, in this school, there are small classrooms and we differentiate between students and what they need to graduate. Students leave their base schools for certain problems and, here, we accommodate them."

He believes he fits in well there, too. "I’ve known kids in high school and college with a lot of the same problems they have — parents divorcing, drugs, alcohol, just released from jail or heavy family responsibilities," he said. "For example, some students here are late to school because they’re working ‘til midnight to support their families and are then dropping off their parents or siblings at work."

But Tran’s passion for teaching was sown in his youth. "I had no plans to go to college," he said. "But because I was homebound with my siblings, I got straight A’s in middle school and high school. That’s when my counselor said I should do something with my life and go to college — and I’m the first one in my extended family to [do so]. My mom went to high school in Vietnam, but was a refuge to America and didn’t finish her education."

Actually, he said, his job at Mountain View can be a challenge, but he meets it gladly, head on. "Some of these kids here don’t want an education as much as I want it for them," said Tran. "So I tell them you need an education to be successful. I picked social studies because it tells a story and history is being made every, single day."

HE TEACHES three, World History classes and says the hardest part is relating the content to the students. "There’s always that student who asks, ‘Why do I have to learn this? Why is this important?’ he said. "So I make them fill in a map of the world and learn where the countries are. I tell them their world isn’t just Centreville — there’s stuff going on outside their realm. There are different people everywhere in the world and they need to know how other people live. It broadens their horizon; otherwise, they have a very narrow view."

What gives Tran the most satisfaction is when students who’ve passed the SOLs come up and thank him. "All I really want is for them to succeed and pass," he said. "I’m glad I went into teaching. "There are long hours, but every day’s a new day. There’s a lot of drama and excitement, and there’s always something different."

Thomas, who won this same VFW award when she taught social studies, collected the required information on Tran and wrote his nomination letter. "But it was easy," she said. "Within a few weeks of his arrival here, he volunteered to present the citizenship award at our February graduation ceremony."

So, added Vice Principal Ellen McCarthy, "Right from the get-go, he wanted to become — and did — an important member of our community, the Mountain View family." And Thomas noted that Tran leads by example, not only getting his government students last year to help with a school-beautification project, but participating in it, himself, on a Saturday.

"He’s also a wonderful mentor, extending himself to his students," she said. "He buys them lunch to encourage them to spend personal time with him outside the classroom. And with the types of students we have, building a relationship is the golden key — it gets them to focus on and come to school because they believe their teacher."

Added McCarthy: "And they believe he truly wants what’s best for them and believes in them."

She also praised his technology skills and creativity in teaching. For instance, instead of having his world-history students read about Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, he played their music for them. Tran’s the only male on the Mom Squad, which supports the school’s teen mothers and fathers, and he also mentors 12 students — more than any other teacher.
"He’s a top-notch instructor, always striving to be better," said Thomas. "Being a good teacher takes lots of time outside school; I’ll get e-mails from him between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., asking, for example, how he can improve his visuals for a lesson he’s teaching."

LAST WEEK, his students took the SOLs, so Tran texted them every night to make sure they were studying. "I also threw in little jokes," he said. "I told them to text me back, if they had questions and, if they really needed me, to phone me so we could go over them together."

"And because he does so many things outside the box — presenting the information in so many, different ways — when he does ask them to read the textbooks, they don’t mind, and they do a better job of it," said Thomas. "We’re so proud of him."

So are his students. "I like his class because he’s easygoing and easy to talk to," said Joseph Rivera. "He’s not like a teacher — he’s like a friend. You can talk to him about anything. If you have a problem — even if you don’t mention it — he’ll point it out to you and try to help. And when I missed my bus, he offered me a ride to my house. I can see why he won the award — he’s a great teacher."

Likewise, student Margarita Flores said Tran is "like a friend teaching you. He wants you to pay attention so you’ll understand what he’s talking about. He’s not as strict as other people; and if I don’t understand something, I can text or phone him. I’m really excited he won the award."

Tom Troy, trustee with VFW Post 5412, presented the award Dec. 19. "What we liked was his involvement with the kids, his ability to communicate with them at their level and his get-up-and-go," he said. "Mountain View students come there with all kinds of problems, from a whole variety of schools and backgrounds, but [Thomas’s nominating] letter said Steve’s ‘an educator who really instilled a sense of pride in his students.’"

"I was surprised, then really honored, that Kim and Mr. Oliver had nominated me," said Tran. "I didn’t expect it — I’ve been here only one year. It shows that my colleagues support and believe in me, as well, just as I do in my students — so it’s like passing along the success."