How to not lose yourself in the rigor of high-pressure academics?

Jeffrey Wan ('15) is a physics teacher at Stuyvesant High School. We talked about how he manages to be both casual and professional at the same time, his own experience with learning physics, the comfort of soul-crushing academic workload, making decisions, teaching science, and finding aliveness everywhere.

"The same mercy, grace and generosity you extend to others, I’ll ask you to extend to yourselves"

Things mentioned:

John Dewey

Mister Rogers

David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech

Ping Pong the Animation

"Excellent Sheep" by William Deresiewicz (book on college admissions)

"The Savage Detectives" by Roberto Bolaño

"Cloud Atlas: A Novel" by David Mitchell

"The Shame of the Nation" by Jonathan Kozol

"Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Inquiry Into Science Education" by Richard N. Steinberg

Mindsweeper