Mr. Tim Kim is not necessarily new to Glendale High School, but he is currently in his first full year of teaching history on our campus. Outside of school, Mr. Kim enjoys making music, playing soccer, and hanging out with friends.
After he graduated from Crescenta Valley High School, Mr. Kim attended UC Santa Barbara for his bachelor’s degree, and then he went to Azusa Pacific University for graduate school. He wants all of Nitros to know that he thoroughly enjoys teaching here at GHS.
Mr. Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, but soon after he was born, he moved to China, where he grew up. He then moved to the United States in 2011.
Mr. Kim has found some differences between his home country and the US. “Here you need a car,” he said. “There they have public transportation.”
Mr. Kim also expressed how he never felt like a minority in China. “Everyone pretty much looked like me,” he said.
However, there was a big transition for Mr. Kim when he moved to America, especially with our cultural differences. However, he admitted, “I was always surrounded by Americans, so I knew how to interact with Americans.”
Mr. Kim’s journey into teaching was a learning experience for him. He had started working in an office job, but he wasn’t satisfied. Eventually, he evaluated his situation and realized that he worked well with people, so he chose the teaching path instead.
Mr. Kim decided to teach high school, as he did most of his training in secondary schools. He was also really interested in history. “I always liked history, even in high school,” he admitted. “I took a lot of AP history classes. I went to college studying the social sciences, so naturally, that was what I was good at and what I was interested [in].”
One of Mr. Kim’s favorite things about teaching at GHS is the diverse community. He also likes “how even the teachers and the principals are very dedicated to their jobs.”
“They enjoy teaching,” he said. “I just like the fact that it’s very human here… It just feels like it reflects the Glendale community.”
Every teacher faces challenges, but for Mr. Kim, it’s nothing he can’t handle. He does admit there are good and bad days, but that’s just life.
If Mr. Kim could change one thing about the public education system, it would be the class sizes. He thinks that it would benefit the students more if class rosters were smaller, as it is easier to focus on one student and help them with their needs.
Mr. Kim also likes to work with newly immigrated students. Their struggles are what sticks with him the most, and he takes their experiences to heart. Mr. Kim expressed, “Having an immigrant background, I’m aware of how difficult it could be. So every time someone, who is newly learning English, is trying their best to get an education, I just really enjoy seeing that effort, and I try to help them reach their goals.”
The biggest piece of advice that Mr. Kim has for his students is to never take the easy path in life. “Don’t take shortcuts and just know that effort does lead to outcomes and results,” he warns. “Shortcuts are tempting, but in the end, it’s really about how much you’re growing.”
In the next five years, Mr. Kim still sees himself teaching here at GHS, but he is always open to change. He feels that there is beauty in teaching both AP and non-AP courses, but he is open to whatever is thrown his way.
As you can tell, Mr. Kim is a phenomenal teacher, and he is excited and dedicated to his job. If you ever see him around campus, make sure to say hello!
