From a Decorated GenSan Career to a New Classroom
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Before Virginia, Amistouso had already built a strong teaching career in General Santos City. His decade in education included work as a school publication, campus journalism, and research coordinator, as well as coaching academic competitions that reached regional and national levels. In 2022, he was named the 2nd Most Outstanding Elementary School Teacher in the Division of General Santos City, according to The Global Filipino Magazine. Rather than leaving because his Philippine career had stalled, he described the move as the pursuit of a longtime dream: teaching in another educational system and discovering how his experience could grow in a new setting.
Learning the Classroom All Over Again
In 2024, Amistouso moved to Northern Virginia through Participate Learning and began teaching third grade at Springwoods Elementary School under Prince William County Public Schools. The transition required more than bringing familiar teaching techniques overseas; he had to adjust to a different curriculum, classroom-management expectations, school culture, and ways of working with families. His response was to listen, observe experienced teachers, ask questions, accept feedback, and adjust his practice. That willingness to “empty my cup,” as he described it, became part of his adjustment to American education. His experience shows that professional reinvention can involve both carrying forward valuable experience and making room for unfamiliar approaches.
Two Years Later, Leadership Came Into View
The new environment soon gave Amistouso opportunities beyond his own classroom. He was nominated for the Participate Learning Teacher of the Year Award in 2025 and served as Saturday School Coordinator during the 2025–2026 school year, helping organize an academic program involving students and teachers across the school. For 2026–2027, he has taken on a NEST Leader role focused on school culture and student belonging and joined Springwoods Elementary’s Gifted Committee. He also continues sharing Filipino culture, traditions, language, and experiences with students and colleagues, connecting his General Santos roots with his growing role as a Filipino educator working internationally.
