Wings Fall 09 - St. Scholastica Academy

Spotlight On Teacher
David Arbo
SPOTLIGHT
By: Denise Bordelon
Walking around with a jar of baby snakes. Doing toe touches
upon request. Often donning a white lab coat. This is Mr.
David Arbo, one of SSA’s most beloved science teachers and
chair of the science department. Students who take Arbo’s
courses (biology honors, anatomy honors, physics, or
computer science elective) know they will work hard. But
they appreciate the work; they have come to realize that the
hard work is worth it in the end, and Arbo has helped them
discover this important life lesson.
“Mr.Arbo really prepares us for college,” Mackenzie Schott ‘09
says. “We were challenged, and I appreciated this in his
teaching. I felt like I was really learning the material. He didn’t
spoon-feed it to us.” It’s this commitment to teaching the
students not only the material, but the skills they need to
succeed beyond SSA that garners Mr.Arbo such respect from
his students. “He used innovative teaching techniques to
challenge his students, and he always made sure to tell us
how we will use these skills,” says Savannah Jenkins ‘09.
Caroline Henson ‘09 agrees that his teaching style helped
students in their critical thinking skills. She says,“He answered
our questions with a question. He always made us think.”
With a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, a
Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, and his teaching
certificate in biology, it’s no wonder the girls learn a great deal
from Arbo. His sixteen years here at SSA (eighteen total
years teaching) makes him an enduring part of the SSA
faculty. Fellow teacher Joe Adragna says,“David’s made my job
[as 9th grade head moderator] so much easier because of
the initiative he takes in everything. David is a remarkable
moderator who never fails to help organize events, even if it’s
at the drop of a hat.” Students have the same opinion of
Arbo’s dedication to the school.
“You can tell he really loves what he
does. He’s a great teacher.”
Amidst all the studying and the work, students say what they
really appreciate is the personal commitment Arbo has as an
educator. Surget Beatrous ‘09, is grateful for his caring side.
She says, “When we were all stressed out about difficult
material, Mr.Arbo diffuses the stress by trying to lighten things
up a bit, and he was always there if we need extra help.”
Overall, students love the way Arbo combines his
expectations of hard work with understanding and
compassion, the presentation of difficult material with the
belief in them that they can do it. Schott sums up many
students’ views of Arbo: “You can tell he really loves what he
does. He’s a great teacher.”
D O V E W I N G S 7