“Education is … the lighting of a fire”

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Continuing our Teacher’s Appreciation Week feature profiling territorial teachers, Mrs. Agnes Atiulagi Silofau from the home of the mighty Warriors, Tafuna High school shares her story.

Mrs. Silofau hails from the village of Malaeloa Aitulagi. Born here in American Samoa in 1990, she was raised in Hawaii. 

A 2008 graduate of Kailua High School, she earned her Bachelor’s degree at Point Loma Nazarene University majoring in Liberal Arts in 2013.

After college, she came back to American Samoa 24 years after leaving the island, to care for her parents who had moved back home earlier.

 “Landing a job here in American Samoa was a bit difficult, but I was able to land my first job with Helping Hands Child Development and worked there for 3 years.” In 2016, she applied once more for a teaching position and God answered her prayers, and Tafuna High School was where she was placed and currently teaches English. Recently she graduated with her Masters Degree in Curriculum Studies.

Silofau is the daughter of the late Iosefo Faaleaoga & Tafafao Faaleaoga. She got married in 2014 to her amazing and supportive husband, Onosai Silofau and together they have 5 beautiful children: Toele’iu, Tutafa’ilagi, Natia, Salesa & Ioata. Silofau is currently a member of the Nu’uuli Nazarene Church under the supervision of Rev. Salesa Alaelua & Faletua Susana Alaelua.

Silofau is one of the hand full of teacher’s Samoa News reached out to, asking, What is it like to be a teacher in American Samoa?

 “Being a teacher is very rewarding, it’s rewarding to see our students thrive in life. There are many students who come from many different backgrounds and for us to really get to know our students and see their progress throughout high school, is such a blessing.

“Though teaching can be rewarding, it also challenges our mental health in dealing with student behavior, and just feeling burnt out dealing with additional responsibilities and juggling our own families, but seeing my students graduating from high school makes the sacrifice worthwhile.”

What has been the hardest challenge as a teacher working for DOE?

 “I think the hardest challenge as a teacher is not having reliable resources. Over the many years I have been a teacher, textbooks are just arriving in our classrooms. Another major struggle that we are facing at the moment is the internet connection. There are so many different applications we have been trained on, but there is no point of utilizing them when we don’t have reliable internet connection.”

How satisfying it is teaching the students at Tafuna High School?

 “Tafuna High is such a big school and just to be able to get to know the students is a major satisfactory merit in itself. I see so much potential in all these students who walk into my classroom and seeing heaps of my students taking off in life is the cherry that top’s it all off.”

What is the best part of teaching for her?

 “One of the best parts of being a teacher is my staff. Being the biggest school, our staff have grown a lot of chemistry together and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. There are times we have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we get it done for our students, which will always be the common goal,” stated Mrs. Silofau

What improvements do you think DOE needs to work on?

“DOE needs to provide better internet connections so that we are able to give our students more opportunities to enhance their technical skills. More staff also, especially at Tafuna High, as we continue to be short on teachers every year.” She added, “More incentives to motivate teachers wouldn’t hurt,” either.