A distinguished Roshan Shah, teacher in Montebello CA, was honored multiple times as Teacher of the Year during his remarkable 31-year career. He taught a diverse array of subjects, including algebra, geometry, advanced calculus, and financial statistics, leaving a lasting impact on countless students, particularly first-generation college-bound learners. As Math Department Chair for several years, he collaborated with colleagues to uphold state STEM standards.
Mr. Shah’s dedication extended far beyond the classroom. He frequently invited guest speakers to discuss careers, banking, and investments, broadening students’ horizons. Additionally, he tutored adult learners pursuing their GEDs and championed academic intervention programs. His leadership in the Saturday Math Bootcamp equipped students with the skills to excel on California state exams.
A passionate advocate for the teaching profession, Mr. Shah represented Montebello teachers on the Union Trust Committee, served as an Advisor for the California Scholarship Foundation, and supported the College Bound Today program.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with honors from the University of Southern California, making the Dean’s List, and later obtained a master’s degree in Educational Administration from National University in Los Angeles. In his leisure time, Mr. Shah enjoyed following March Madness, watching professional sports, investing in the stock market, and testing his knowledge with Jeopardy!
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
Every weekday is kind of the same. Our days are pretty well-scheduled, so there isn’t a lot of variation from one day to the next. I start my day by doing a little exercise/stretching. I check the markets before the I head off to school. I review and update my lesson plans the night before, so I’m always prepped and ready to go. I teach all day; I generally stay in the classroom during nutrition and lunch to catch up with teachers and students. Sometimes I work a little after school (tutoring or adult school), and then I’ll head over to my Mom’s house and eat dinner and spend time with her. I usually don’t get home until after 10pm. I review my lesson plans for the next day, and then I wind down – catch up on the latest news, market updates, sports scores – and then I go to bed.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I like to turn theory into practice. When I’m teaching a concept, I like to talk about how it can be used in the real world. I also bring in a lot of guest speakers (one to two a month) who can explain to my students what they actually do with each of the degrees that they get. I also invite first-year college students to talk to my seniors about their first impressions of college and how to best acclimate. A lot of my guest speakers are former students; it makes the conversation more relevant, and it helps my current students see that their dreams may be attainable too.
What’s one trend that excites you?
AI – artificial intelligence. There will be a lot of future STEM opportunities for kids that excel in math – software engineers, robotics, machine learning, data scientists, etc. It’s an exciting time to be a math nerd!
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Downtime on the weekends. I go all out during the week, so I always carve out time for myself on the weekends. It gives me an opportunity to decompress and get ready for the week ahead. And it helps keep me organized and focused so I don’t burn-out.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient. Change is not something that will happen overnight. I tend to be impatient about making changes – adding classes, changing curriculums, etc. But change is difficult for many and it is a process. You have to spend time educating folks on your vision and trust that you will eventually get them there.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Money corrupts. I love watching professional sports, but sometimes I swear the games are rigged. I’m starting to see unfortunate patterns everywhere.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Never stop learning. Read a book. Learn a new language. Pick up a new hobby. There is a lot of learning you can do outside of school.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I go for a walk. It helps me clear my head.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I take on new responsibilities when opportunities present themselves. I teach summer school and adult school. The students in each of these sessions are different, so it gives me an opportunity to try new things. Being nimble is important to me. Learning to adjust my teaching style so that the concepts resonate is key; we all need to meet our students where they are.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I’m not always a great judge of character. I’m too trusting, and I’m too willing to give folks the benefit of the doubt, even when they don’t deserve it. And that has hurt me. It’s not a bad trait, per se, but I wish I were a bit more discerning. Not everyone deserves me, my time or my attention.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Learn how the markets work. I started a Financial Stats class because I think learning about money, credit, and leverage helps people move up the socioeconomic ladder. Credit keeps poor people poor. It’s important to understand how the financial markets work. I’m a strong believer in that.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Believe it or not, I still create my lesson plans on paper. I use a white board to explain key concepts to my students. I started my career using overhead projectors…so I think I’ve moved forward a bit. But I have not really utilized any real software or digitization in my classroom…yet.
Key learnings
- Turn theory into practice. When teaching new concepts, help students understand how they may apply these learnings in the real-world.
- Take on new opportunities when they present themselves. Never stop learning.
- Get in the arena. If you try, you may succeed. If you don’t try, you’ve already failed.