After 25 wonderful years of teaching here at Los Banos High School, everyone’s favorite French and Portuguese teacher Mr.Noia, is now retiring.

Mr. Noia is a man of knowledge. Not only has he taught Portuguese and French throughout his career as a teacher, but he has also taught Spanish and Comparative Literature. Although it is impressive that he taught multiple subjects at once, it did not come without its challenges. Being the only teacher at the school able to offer levels 1, 2 and 3 of French and Portuguese can cause many stressful days and sometimes be overwhelming. However, it was nothing he could not handle all these years.

On the bright side, one of Mr. Noia’s proudest moments as a teacher was being able to get through the stressful school year that is 2020-2021. He is thankful to his students for being so kind and willing to help him through all the technological issues he ran into this year. He believes that an academic education is a continuous process that is needed to succeed in life and is happy to see his students thrive during this rough year. “I am only as successful as my students,” said Mr. Noia.

While Mr. Noia will never stop teaching, he is going to miss his amazing students who have each year helped him grow as a teacher. One thing that he stands by is that he was never a role model for his students. He believes that no one should ever use the lack of a role model as an excuse for not doing his or her best. He thinks that everyone should take all that they have experienced in life, create their own role model, and encourage others to do the same.

Some plans he has for after retirement include collecting art work, getting involved with things involving art in the Los Banos community, and continuing his passion for writing. Some exciting news! Keep a look out for his book, The 3rd of July. The book summary is “The psychological, political, sociological, and theological impact on an individual’s journey to assist the soul in search of freedom and ultimately the discovery of the sublime, love.”  The cost is $48.50 and will include a hard copy of the book, a T-shirt and a ticket for the movie that he says will also be out soon. Noia may be retiring, but he will never stop doing what makes him happy.

Mr. Noia has several pieces of advice for teachers who are just starting their careers.  One piece of advice is to always take advantage of the open door policy. Second, always follow through with any and all thoughts and opinions you may have on certain issues. Third, never feel like you need to silence yourself  because you are just beginning.  He added that this is the perfect time to take advantage of the fact that you have the ability to make yourself heard. These are wise pieces of advice that every beginning teacher should take into consideration given the fact that is is a way to better yourself, not only as a teacher, but also as a person.

Teaching is just one of Mr. Noia’s passions in life, and he will continue to keep teaching even after retirement. He is a well respected teacher who will be missed by everyone here at Los Banos High school. He has impacted so many students in ways that words cannot describe. He has a fun and exciting plan for after retirement that we know will keep him busy and happy. On behalf of everyone here at Los Banos High, we wish him the best and hope he enjoys life after retirement.