As the new school year kicks in, Arcadia High School (AHS) welcomed a fresh face to its roster of wonderful educators. Meet Ms. Amanda Felizardo, one of the newest additions to our teaching family. With a burning passion for imparting knowledge, she embarks on her first year at AHS. Ms. Felizardo, who teaches a diverse range of subjects including Modern World History, ELD 3, and Sheltered Social Science, says that she loves history and that “history is just like a story about people in the past, and that is so interesting.” 

She also finds it fascinating that she gets to help students be able to communicate with others, meaning improving their English while starting to adapt to being at Arcadia. With Sheltered Social Science being a mix of Modern World History and American history, she gets to dive again into her love for history and teach it. But since the subject is focused on students in ELD 1 and ELD 2, she gets to help better their English all while teaching them about the world.

“[The year’s] been good, but it’s a lot of work,” Ms. Felizardo said. As it is her first year teaching at AHS, she believes that there are lots of learning curves to get past. However, through the support system provided by the AHS staff and the community as a whole, Ms. Felizardo feels right at home. According to her, the students have been consistent and ready to learn, making the process smoother for her. 

Beyond the classroom, Ms. Felizardo has various interests and hobbies. She describes how she likes to read and loves murder mysteries, but also sprinkles a little bit of rom-com on top. She also loves listening to music as well as podcasts. She mentions how she’s a musical theater nerd because of her love for listening to and watching Broadway shows. She says that her music taste consists of K-pop, but more importantly, “I like 80s music because my dad played it while I was growing up, and that’s why I listened to it.”

Her diverse interests are just a showcase of her vibrant personality and her ability to connect with students who share similar interests. 

“I spent years saying I didn’t want to be a teacher,” Ms. Felizardo said. “People said I liked history so I wanted to be a history teacher, but no, I didn’t want to be one.” It was only when she studied abroad in Spain and was able to volunteer at a local school and became an English language and cultural assistant, that she loved it all. It wasn’t the long hours she spent at school but rather how she was able to engage and teach kids something that was so familiar to her that piqued her interest. 

“I knew I didn’t want to be a teacher, but the thrills that I felt in Spain when I went and taught those kids just inspired me to continue.” After her mementos in Spain, Ms. Felizardo came back and became an instructional aide in Monrovia Unified School District for 4.5 years then went on to get her graduate degree in teaching at UC Irvine. 

Additionally, Ms. Felizardo prompts all students to step out of their comfort zone, and if they need help, to discuss with teachers and connect with them because it is the teacher’s job to teach you and be a support system. “Also, don’t let one bad grade get you down. It is just one of the many things your class has to offer. So just move on and try your best because it matters more that you are learning.”

With a teacher like Ms. Felizardo in the halls of AHS, we are not only gaining an educator, but a mentor, and a source of inspiration for students. As she navigates through her first year here at AHS, we are excited to see the positive impacts she will make on her students and the Arcadia community as a whole. 

Photo by Supriya Thapa