As the 2023-2024 school year begins, many wonderful teachers are joining to make Arcadia High School (AHS) a better campus and environment for students to thrive. We have a new addition to the language department, Ms. Angela Yu. Specializing in Chinese language, she currently teaches Chinese 2 and 3 in A-207.

Although Ms. Yu is new to AHS, she has vast amounts of knowledge and various experiences to offer and teach her students. Ms. Yu has taught varied levels of Chinese for the past 12 years at Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park. 

Additionally, Ms. Yu said she was attracted to AHS because of the sense of spirit our school generates. She discovered that being a part of an encouraging community was an important aspect of her career and everyday life. She admires how AHS is constantly building positive relationships with students and providing a safe and engaging atmosphere. 

“I’ve always heard really good things about Arcadia,” said Ms. Yu. “I have always wanted to be a part of a very supportive community.”

Part of being a language teacher is also introducing foreign culture to students, being able to do that allows Ms. Yu to share some of her culture, while also allowing her students to learn more about the world. She expressed her passion for teaching and her appreciation for being able to be a part of her students’ development. 

“It’s always been a dream of mine as a child to teach, I just wanted to help kids and to be able to make an impact on someone’s life.” stated Ms. Yu. “One of my favorite parts of teaching Chinese is teaching my students about my culture. I like how they ask questions about holidays and traditions.”

Teaching a language is especially difficult. Ms. Yu enjoys doing assorted activities to help students gain a better understanding of the Chinese language. In her classes, activities such as writing exercises and games can be seen throughout her lessons. She emphasizes the importance of practicing speaking and making conversation with other people in order to improve the comprehension of Chinese. To make sure her students are constantly learning how to speak this language, one activity involves making conversation with seat partners. 

“In my classes, you’ll see me doing things like moving around, talking to partners, games, writing, just a bunch of different kinds of activities,” said Ms. Yu. 

All in all, this school year is filled with anticipation and excitement. We are glad that Ms. Yu could be a part of it!