Ms. Dorothy Daniel has been teaching for 31 years at Arcadia High School (AHS) since 1991; and after many years of guiding generations of AHS students to success, Ms. Daniel will be retiring from the next school year and taking a well-deserved break for all her efforts. Congratulations to our beloved math teacher and a big thank you for all her hard work and dedication!

Throughout her many years of working at AHS, Ms. Daniel has served in several positions in the district such as the co-department chair, the curriculum leader, and has been teaching AP Calculus AB for her entire career at AHS. She is an expert in polishing her students’ skills to earn a perfect 5 on the exam.

When asked about the most memorable moments of her career, Ms. Daniel mentioned how “open and welcoming” her students are, and how receptive they are to learning. Throughout the years of teaching such a challenging course, Ms. Daniel is very impressed with her students’ determination and adaptability to her class. She enjoyed every moment of witnessing their improvements throughout the year. 

By watching her students’ growth, Ms. Daniel was reminded of her high school self, and what inspired her to become a math teacher. Ms. Daniel recalled a time in 9th grade when her former math teacher made her fall in love with the subject by showing her great patience despite her shortcomings for his class. Ms. Daniel wishes that she could serve as a similar figure to her students and prompt them to achieve great things as well.

Luckily, her efforts did not go unnoticed, as she is praised by many of her current and former students based on their experiences in her classroom.

“Her classes are very fun,” said senior Samantha Wang. “I had Ms. Daniel for Calc AB, and I’m still able to remember a lot of things I learned, like need statements.”

Sophomores Kaitlyn Thin and Jody Liu also have similar opinions.

“Ms. Daniel is very lenient on us,” said Thin. “I really like the relaxing atmosphere in her class.”

“She’s very nice and easy-going, I like how I don’t feel pressured when talking to her or asking her questions,” said Liu.

Congratulations to Ms. Daniel again for her great impact on AHS and her students. We wish her a happy and carefree retirement after all her diligence!

Photos courtesy of AHS Yearbook