Spark Spotlight shines a light on an educator making a meaningful impact in their classroom and community. Together, we celebrate their creativity, inspiring stories, and unwavering dedication to SFUSD students’ success. 

At the Spark-sponsored K–2 Literacy Institute hosted by SFUSD’s Curriculum & Instruction team earlier this month, we had the opportunity to speak with 1st Grade Teacher Hana Huang and learn more about her commitment to teaching and learning.

An SFUSD alum, first grade teacher Hana Huang has been bringing deep passion, adaptability, and curiosity to her classroom for over two decades. For Hana, each school year is a shared journey of learning - one where her students shape her just as much as she supports them.

It was during her early school years that the seeds of her future career were planted. Reflecting on her third-grade teacher, Hana shared, “She inspired me to become a teacher myself so that I could give other children the love, attention, and support they needed to be their best selves and believe in themselves.”

Hana immigrated from China when she was just two years old and grew up in San Francisco. After graduating from SFUSD, she went on to study Education and Psychology at UC Berkeley, with a focus on Developmental Psychology.

Now in her 23rd year of teaching first grade, Hana remains just as passionate and curious as when she began. “Teaching first grade is super rewarding!” she shares. “I love seeing how much my students grow as readers and writers. I love connecting with them and helping them build a strong love for learning that I hope they will carry with them when they leave my classroom. I also love learning about new research and teaching strategies that I try with my new group of students every year, so it makes things new and exciting.”

We met Hana at the Spark-sponsored K–2 Literacy Institute earlier this month. Hosted by SFUSD’s Curriculum & Instruction team, this full-day professional learning event was designed to deepen teachers’ understanding of the district’s new literacy curriculum, explore effective instructional practices, and create opportunities to share insights and best practices with peers. Hana was enthusiastic about both the content and the collaboration the institute fostered:

“I love professional development because there’s always more to learn,” she explains. “I often tell my colleagues, ‘If I ever become that jaded teacher who says, “Nope, I’m just doing it my way,” please call me out, because I never want to be that teacher.’ I always want to stay open to new strategies and fresh ways of thinking, because ultimately, it’s about doing what’s best for my students.”

One of the most meaningful aspects of the institute for Hana was the opportunity to engage with fellow educators. “Even though we may not have the same group of students or the same school culture, there’s so much we can learn from one another,” she says. “Having time like we did today to collaborate with colleagues I don’t normally see is incredibly valuable. It gives me fresh ideas - I get to see how others are implementing different parts of the curriculum, or they’ll share a resource they’ve found that I hadn’t come across yet.”

She also appreciated the structure of the day, which allowed teachers to explore curriculum resources and reflect together. “The presenter showed us where to find key materials, then gave us the space to explore, reflect, and come back together to share,” she recalls. “Just like we want our students to have time to explore and make discoveries, teachers need that same opportunity. That space for collaboration and idea exchange is essential for our growth and for the success of our classrooms.”

As a first grade teacher, Hana knows just how fundamental this year is in a child’s reading journey and how the impact of learning to read goes far beyond first grade: “Learning how to read is one of the most important skills in life. Once students learn how to read, they can read to learn anything they are interested in. They can have access to all kinds of knowledge and information. Not only are reading skills fundamental to academic success, but it also helps to learn other perspectives, build connections, and promote critical thinking.”

She uses storytelling to spark excitement around books and language. “I read them fun stories to get them excited about reading,” she explains. “Sometimes I choose books with a surprising ending or that are really silly so we can all laugh together. Other times I pick books with recurring characters to see if students can predict what might happen next.”

Her students do more than just listen - they connect. “We always make connections with the characters and discuss what the author is trying to teach us, so my students remember the stories well after we finish reading them. I also give my class time to read with their partners to share their excitement about the stories and about how much they are improving in their reading skills. All this joy brings motivation to become a better reader.”

She is also deeply attuned to the diverse backgrounds and needs of her young learners. Her students -six- and seven-year-olds from a wide range of families, cultures, and experiences - require different forms of support and care.

“Every year, I am excited to get to know my new students so I can build on their strengths and help grow their abilities,”she shares. “Because every student is different, I need to adapt my strategies and tweak my lessons. My students help teach me to be the best teacher I can be for them. I grow as an educator because of who they are and what they bring to my classroom. They have made me the teacher I am today, and I still have so much more to learn. I see our year together as a journey where the students and the teacher learn together.”