Felicia has varied experiences in schools in California, New Mexico, the Zuni Indian Reservation, and Tucson, as a student, instructional aide, bus monitor, yard duty monitor, teacher, teaher leader, mentor, administrator, and parent.
In Tucson classrooms, Felicia is known as “Ms. Chew.” Felicia has also been known as “Mrs. Samson” and “Ms. Felicia”.
You can read about her Journey Through Education below.
You can visit her website “Principal Samson’s School” to learn about:
– Felicia’s Experience in Schools
– Principal Samson’s School
– Effective Positive Discipline
– Block Schedules
– Team Leaders
———-
Felicia’s Journey Through Education
Felicia was born and raised in Sunnyvale, California during the exploratory era of charter schools and tracking.
As a first-born Chinese-American, the schools sent paperwork home to qualify Felicia as an ESL (English as a Second Language) student. Felicia’s parents had been cautioned to not say that English was not her primary language (so she would not be placed in “special classes”). So, her parents said no, and kept her out of the “special classes.”
Felicia participated in the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education, called “REACH” in Amphi) program throughout elementary school, and was placed in Honors and AP (Advanced Placement) classes in junior high and high school (during the time when junior high served students in Grades 7-8).
Felicia started her teaching career as an intern at Patwin Elementary School in Davis, California with Flo Grossenbacher’s 3rd Grade classroom.
Felicia then volunteered and worked in several classrooms and junior high schools as an Instructional Aide, Instructional Aide Specialist (1-on-1 with an 8th grade Down’s Syndrome Student), bus monitor, and student supervisor.
In 1995, Felicia enrolled in the Multiple Subject Credential Program at the University of California, Davis. She student taught in Grades 3 and 4 in the Winters Unified School District, and Davis Joint Unified School District.
Felicia started teaching in her own classroom in 1996 in Woodland, California where her students knew her as Mrs. Samson.
Mrs. Samson served as a 504 Coordinator, Student Study Team Facilitator, Team Leader, Mentor Teacher, Summer School Principal, and District Interventions Coordinator.
Felicia moved to Zuni, New Mexico in 2004, and students know Felicia as “Ms. Felicia”.
In 2007, Felicia taught for Gallup-McKinley schools, known as “Mrs. Samson”.
In 2011, Felicia moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she taught at Bright Star Learning Center, the Jewish Community Center, for Amphitheater Public Schools, and the Tucson Unified School District. Tucsonans know Felicia as Ms. Chew.
Felicia currently substitute teaches for the Flowing Wells School District, Presidio School, and the Tucson Hebrew Academy.
We are each a piece of the puzzle of life 