Interview with: Linda Wong (Fellow 2023-24)
Written by: Aiman Nadeem, Anna Yao
Empathy in Action: Empowering Students and Teachers
“When I first started teaching, I used to think that I was helping the students, but looking back now, I realize I was helping myself all along,” reflected Linda Wong (Fellow 2023-24) on her experience during the Teach For Hong Kong (“TFHK”) Fellowship Program.
Linda started her career journey far from a classroom setting. She worked as an HR manager at P&G Hong Kong before discovering her true calling as an impact-maker in the education sector. In her previous role, Linda realized she enjoyed connecting with individuals and uplifting those in need. Her knack for coaching and guiding others, honed through conversations with friends and colleagues, aligned with her desire to nurture individuals. It was during this period of self-discovery that she came across Teach For Hong Kong’s (“TFHK”) Fellowship Program and decided to become an educator. As a Fellow, Linda served at SEMPLE Memorial Secondary School (“SEMPLE”) as an English teacher.
Entering the classroom, she observed diverse challenges that underprivileged students faced. The majority of students were new Mainland arrivals, and English was not their strongest language. As an English teacher, she navigated ways to support her students to learn English. Students were often disengaged or relied merely on translation apps for their English assignments.
Linda’s approach to teaching centered on building trust through meaningful interaction with the students. At the start of the school year, she conducted 30-minute one-on-one conversations with students to understand their English abilities and personal challenges.
“There was a female student with strong overall academic performance but average English
skills, easily unnoticed by the schoolteachers who often focus on those excelling or struggling
significantly. I encouraged her to find me if there were any problems and that I could help her
improve,” Linda shared, recalling a student story.
This simple gesture touched the girl as she rarely received such personalized support from teachers and parents. She felt truly seen for the first time and began engaging more actively in Linda’s classes, and her confidence in English grew gradually.
Linda’s own childhood experiences – being bullied and ignored in secondary school – shaped her empathetic approach. Reflecting on this, she respected their boundaries while maintaining care, acting as a companion to the students. Simple acts, like playing UNO during lunch breaks, helped her connect with students, revealing their personalities and building mutual trust. Through student interactions, Linda’s students felt her care and efforts in communicating with them, making them more concentrated in her classes.
Coming from a similar background as her students, Linda understood how a lack of exposure opportunities affects students’ sense of possibilities, leaving them uncertain and doubtful about their futures. To address this, Linda organized a Mentorship Program, collaborating with HSBC, aimed at enhancing students’ English confidence through interaction with foreign mentors and bringing diverse life and career exposure to students.
Initially, challenges arose, including obtaining school buy-in, student recruitment, and managing the expectations of different stakeholders. With TFHK’s support and guidance from Leadership Development Officer (“LDOs”), Linda grasped stakeholder management skills, the importance of adaptability, and effective school communication.
Student mentees initially hesitated to communicate with their HSBC mentors in English. Over time, with Linda’s preparation support, students began to proactively seek personal and career advice from mentors without relying on a script.
Grace Davis, Regional ASP Lead, B2B MarTech at HSBC – worked closely with Linda in mobilizing HSBC volunteers to participate as mentors. She believes the program exemplified the importance of cross-sector collaboration to address education inequity, allowing cross-sector volunteers to understand firsthand the context of education inequity in Hong Kong and develop empathy towards underprivileged students.
Coming out of the program, the students learned to introduce themselves in English, gained practical interview skills and personal advice from their mentors, and gained self-confidence. Some students opened up, and others approached their learning with seriousness. One of the mentors also kept in touch with his student mentees after the program to provide guidance as a life coach.
Linda’s journey as a Fellow exemplified the value of leadership. She was not only a teacher but an evolving leader with her capacity for perspective-taking, empathizing with students and teachers, navigating in-school and cross-sector dynamics, and adapting to the ever-changing needs of students and the school. The TFHK Fellowship Program nurtures young leaders through a transformative leadership experience that shifts perspectives and fosters deep commitment to serving underprivileged students.
During this leadership experience, Linda discovered a profound shift from nurturing students to nurturing teachers.
“Before the Fellowship, I judged teachers for not doing more for their students or seeming
unmotivated,” Linda admitted. “But as a Fellow, I understood their struggles firsthand – grappling
with a heavy workload, spending most of the time handling students’ issues rather than teaching –
it is not uncommon for teachers to lose motivation while being under immense stress.”
After her Fellowship, Linda joined the TFHK team as a Program Manager, where she champions teachers’ well-being and empowers Fellows with practical strategies to reconnect with their values and passions. At TFHK, she coaches Fellows, guiding them to navigate personal and professional challenges and designs impactful training programs to equip Fellows with knowledge and skills to thrive as young leaders.
Linda’s guiding principle, “To inspire students to thrive, it is crucial to first nurture teachers to
sustain,” drives her mission to nurture young leaders.
