Over the summer, art teacher Margherita Wischerth retired, leaving an opening in the Townsend Harris art department. When school opened in September, Antonio Montalvo began teaching in the position.
According to Mr. Montalvo, teaching at THHS has always been a dream of his. While pursuing his degree at Queens College, he found himself intrigued by the building and its vibrant student body. “It just seemed like a wonderful learning environment that I wish I had when I was a high school student,” he said.
Mr. Montalvo’s educational journey led him to the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan (SVA), where he attained a BFA in illustration. He further honed his skills by attaining a second Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Queens College, followed by a master’s degree in special education from Touro University.
After graduating from SVA, Mr. Montalvo explored various artistic industries as a freelancer. However, the uncertainties that came with freelancing led him to pursue “a career that was more secure and more meaningful,” he said. His mother, a high school Spanish teacher, proposed the idea of teaching. Despite his initial hesitation, Mr. Montalvo followed her advice, becoming “a substitute teacher and loving every moment of it,” he said. Since then, he has been an educator for 17 years in the NYC Department of Education.
As he embarks on this new chapter at THHS, Mr. Montalvo eagerly anticipates the opportunities to come. “I look forward to meeting new people, being part of a community, creating a creative environment, and being the best art teacher I can be,” he said.
Junior Danielis Baez, a student in his Photography class, said, “Mr. Montalvo’s class is super fun. His way of teaching is fun and he actually lets you learn about photography.”
Sophomore Kaiden Martin said, “[Mr. Montalvo] is excited working with the other teachers and students in the class to show how to develop film for his photography course.”
In regards to his teaching style, Sophomore Julia Lindner said, “[Mr. Montalvo’s] class in terms of the curriculum flows well. We learn while we experience it for ourselves. I believe his teaching style is fair. He’s a very laid back teacher up to a certain point. Trust him [and] he’ll trust you.”
Likewise, Junior Keith Jantoro said, “Mr. Montalvo’s teaching style makes the entire class very enjoyable, and the amount of freedom that we get with projects is a very nice change as opposed to having a strict curriculum [like] in most classes. It is very rewarding to see something you spent weeks on finally come to life.”
Outside of teaching, Mr. Montalvo engages in an array of hobbies. His interests span from reading comics and Manga to watching Anime, playing video games, and participating in trading card games like Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh.
