What’s it like to be a teacher in American Samoa?

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The strength of every profession in the territory grows out of the knowledge and skill that teachers instill in our children, and many have had a teacher who believed in them when no one else did — making the job of a teacher so critical to the success of our people and the prosperity of American Samoa.

What’s it like to be a teacher here in the Territory? As part of Territorial Teachers Appreciation Week, Samoa News reached out — to find out.

Samoa News will be featuring more teachers in next week’s editions, when National Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated throughout the U.S. and its territories.

The first teacher we were able to talk to was Sonny Gogo, who is an English teacher and head of the English department at Manu’a High school.

Gogo, a child of Senator Ma’o Fa’auma Gogo of the Manu’a, Ta’u district, first became a teacher two years ago after moving back home from Anchorage, Alaska, and his story is one of perseverance that all teachers must have to survive in this profession.

We first asked Gogo, what's it like being a teacher at Manu’a High school?

 “We not only teach, but we also nurture and encourage, like a parent or a friend, and when time allows, we educate ourselves. The invisible sacrifices, the desire to reach everyone while respecting each student's individuality, the lack of resources, the various levels of parental engagement, and the overall expectation.

 “It is not easy. I could moan all day, but I’d still come back the next day because that's who I’ve become. Being a teacher changed me, and I can’t say for the better because my mental health is slowly deteriorating, but I’ve grown so much both personally and professionally as a result of my classroom experiences. My drive comes from the students, and their development has become my new obsession,” Gogo said.

Asked about how satisfactory, or unsatisfactory, it has been educating the future generation of Manu’a? Gogo replied, “I had a career and life in America. When our mother became ill, I decided to return home. In 2021, we lost her, and I started working for ASDOE as a teacher.

“ Why Manua? I graduated from here, my mother’s grave is here, and my childhood friends are here.

“It's only been 2 years, but I already have former students who have just started their military careers, some in college, some started working immediately after graduation, and some are fulfilling obligations to their parents; witnessing and comprehending this filled a void in my heart, and it's where I found satisfaction. I still believe in this generation, and that they will become great leaders in the future.”

Seeing his students flourish and becoming their own person is what pushed Gogo to be great in his profession, he said.

What has been the hardest, and best challenge of being a teacher at DOE?

Gogo responded, “When I say I grumbled every day during my first year as a teacher, I mean it! I loathed having to fly to Tutuila to buy my own paint to cover up the awful walls, and if I forget something, I have to pay someone to pick it up from the store in Pago and send it on the boat, which is a lengthy procedure.

“Two years later, I am the queen of improvisation; I budget to meet personal and classroom expenditures, I seldom travel unless absolutely necessary, and I utilize everything and anything I observe in the community to further illustrate my teachings and/ or adorn our booths or doorways for school festivities.

“It's fantastic, and I appreciate that I've learned not to rely on store-bought products after being a broke teacher last year. I'm a not-so-poor teacher this year, but I'll be a wealthy teacher next year!”

Gogo points to simple things AS-DOE could work on to improve teaching methods in Manu’a, when asked.

 “I’m becoming acclimated to the Spartan teaching lifestyle, but I also love new things. I’d love a new desk, and some white paint, but other than that, I have everything I need.

“Oh, I also have a cart full of supplies for next year on Amazon, can you guys pay the whole thing for me please? It’s only $2,000,” replied Gogo jokingly — but also to highlight the shortage of supplies and how much the educators of our little island territory pay out of their own pocket in order to fuel the dreams and goals of the children of American Samoa.

Samoa News wishes Manu’a High School’s very own Sonny Gogo a happy Territorial Teachers Appreciation Week, and to all the Territory’s teachers that answer the call to excellence and caring — a ‘faafetai tele lava’ for your service to the community and its families.