Henrico's Top Teachers – Mona Amin, Tucker HS

Mona Amin always knew she wanted to help people, but it wasn’t until a student asked her for help during one of her practicum placements that Amin realized teaching was her calling.

“I suddenly had to come up with my own way to help this student, and it was such a fulfilling feeling,” Amin wrote in an email to the Citizen.

In her fourth year as a 10th grade biology teacher, Amin of course finds the content interesting and enjoys teaching. But her favorite part of her job is getting to know and challenge her students.

“I love challenging students to their full potential and preparing them for the real world,” Amin wrote. “When you see them light up at their success, no matter how little it is, it’s the best part. I think these things usually get lost with standards and curriculum, but you can truly do both.”

Though this is only her first year teaching at Tucker High School, Amin has already made a lasting impact on her students. One student who nominated Amin even credited her with their progress in the classroom.

“For the first quarter I went to a different high school; same classes, different schools. I felt really hopeless and was basically failing,” the student wrote. “With no exaggeration, when she taught me the first things everything just clicked.”

Beyond the curriculum she teaches Amin also strives to engage her students by getting to know them as people and incorporating their likes and even dislikes into lessons.

“I think when you actually treat students like people rather than just your students, that goes a long way,” Amin wrote. “Make content more relevant to them, otherwise it’ll just be a foreign language to them and not something they want to give their time to.”

So far, Amin’s style has proven successful as students appreciate her teaching style with several even naming her as their favorite teacher.

“Whenever I’m in her class, it feels like I am in a family,” one student wrote. “Everyone feels welcome in her classes, and she promotes class discussion,” another student who nominated Amin wrote.

While Amin admitted she struggled adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, she finds comfort in reminding herself of what she would tell her students if they felt the same.

“Don’t give up. It’s okay to put yourself first. It’s okay to cry or scream. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay that there are more important things going on in your life than that little homework assignment I assigned, we will figure something out,” Amin wrote. “It’s ok to try, fail, and try again.”