Kady Smith and Sarah Biadi also contributed to this article.
Coming from Dorchester to Malden, Amrita Sood brings her outgoing personality to the English department at Malden High. Like her ninth grade students, she is new to this building, finding her way around this massive school. She aims to bring students together and allow them to feel comfortable with being themselves.
Outside of school, Sood enjoys reading, spending time with family, going on walks, and rewatching her favorite shows, which at the moment happens to be The Vampire Diaries. However, one of her biggest hobbies is spending time with her nine-month-old puppy, Ember. Ember is a mix of German Shepherd and Poodle. “Most of my day is work and then her,” said Sood.
When Sood was young, her mother gifted her a chalkboard set, where she would pretend to teach her brother math. This set her passion for becoming the experienced teacher she is today.
Sood originally planned to pursue a science career. In college, Sood majored in biology due to her love for science and math. During her college career, she tutored students in a writing center, which is where she discovered her love for helping students write. She stated that “a lot of people were like, ‘you’re really helpful, no one’s been able to help me write an essay before,’” which led her to take an education class on it.
Sood may be new to Malden High School, but she is not new to teaching. She previously worked at Neighborhood House Charter School for eight years, which was her first job after college. After spending so long at one school, she decided it was time for a change. What attracted her to Malden High was the sense of community and diversity. She expressed that “everyone was telling me how when you ask a teacher why they love working here they always say the kids are great.”
Freshman Sara Munir, one of her students, said that “the classroom is a comforting space.” Sood wants her classroom to be a place where students feel comfortable expressing themselves. “I don’t want this to be a place where kids feel like they can’t speak up or they can’t share their thoughts,” she explained, “that they’re being forced to talk when they don’t want to.”
Sood’s personality is welcoming and kind. “She’ll fill any room with laughter,” described her co-teacher, Mitch Abbatessa. “She’s realistic and she also has some flexibility,” Abbatessa added.
“She actually teaches and makes sure you understand,” mentioned freshman Melany Portillo. Ariana Portillo, another fellow freshman, also thinks “She’s a great teacher,” and “definitely knows how to teach.”
Holland House principal, Brian Bates, stated she shows “a ton of patience” and “knows how to connect with students.” If a student is having trouble or doesn’t understand, she makes sure the student receives the help they need, and instead of running out of patience, she will work with you mindfully and respectfully. She walks around the room and helps students with questions they are stuck on.
From teaching her younger brother on a chalkboard, to tutoring in college, and eventually finding her love for teaching, Sood’s journey to Malden High was far from a straight path. As she begins her first year here, Sood is still learning about the school herself with hundreds of other students and staff members. The transition from her previous school has been a big change, but she is still excited to learn more about Malden High and the students. Even though she misses her old staff members and students, she hopes that Malden High welcomes her with open arms and shows her what a great place this is.
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