A Filipino educator serving students with diverse learning needs in Peoria, Illinois has earned two of the most distinguished recognitions in his field — a testament to a teaching career built on adaptation, persistence, and cultural exchange.
Melvin Ama, who teaches in the Life Skills program at Dr. Maude A. Sanders Primary School under Peoria Public Schools District 150, was named Teacher of the Year for the entire district — an honor extended to only one educator across all schools. He also received the Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Ama came to the United States through Greenheart International’s Teach USA Cultural Exchange Program, arriving in 2021 as part of the first cohort of exchange teachers placed in the district. The transition was not without difficulty. Adjusting to a new cultural environment, learning a different approach to classroom management, and reading student behavior patterns he had not previously encountered were among the early obstacles.
“These experiences became opportunities for growth that shaped me into a more resilient, reflective, and adaptable educator,” he said in the Greenheart Exchange blog.
His role in the Life Skills program centers on equipping students with disabilities with practical daily living and functional skills. The work, he says, demanded that he rapidly develop inclusive instructional practices and learn to build trust with students, families, and colleagues from backgrounds different from his own.
Ama also made a point of sharing his Filipino heritage within the school community. Introducing his culture to students and staff, he said, helped build understanding and a stronger sense of inclusion on campus — while the school, in turn, offered him lessons he said he carries forward.
“My host school has taught me invaluable lessons about resilience and collaboration,” he noted, adding that the experience reinforced the value of classrooms where every student feels genuinely supported.
The Teach USA program, he said, fundamentally reshaped how he approaches teaching — exposing him to student-centered methodologies and inclusive practices that he has since made central to his work in special education.
