Pauline Li Gaudefroy
Many know Mr Feezell as the capybara-loving, English teacher who taught us all in Middle school. But is he really who he seems he is, or does he hide a secret identity beneath his quiet persona? Let’s find out!
Mr. Feezell feeding capybaras
1. Where did you grow up?
From the beginning of his life, Mr. Feezell grew up in the always-sunny state of California for the majority of his childhood. But sadly, due to the lack of change in the climate, he felt like he was “missing out when [he] was growing up, because [he] always wanted to build a snowman! Or, slide down the side of a hill. But it was always 25 degrees in January.”
2. What were some of your favorite childhood memories or activities?
Fortunately, when the weather lets you down, there’s always a cinema around the corner with the newest movies in store. Mr Feezell remembers part of his childhood revolving around sci-fi movies such as Back to the Future or the Star Wars originals Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He describes them as movies that have a “great ending that leaves you with a smile on your face when it’s all over.” Now that’s some quality review! He also particularly enjoyed reading action books and comics such as Fantastic Four, the Star Wars trilogy, or Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, as well as classics like the original Sherlock Holmes stories.
3. Describe your childhood in three words.
If he were to summarise his childhood in three words, it would be “books, movies, and comics”, which most of us can agree too, seeing his choice of movies. Though, to describe his youth in adjectives, he would say he was “imaginative, isolated, and quiet”–three great traits to become a powerful and wise Jedi.
4. What was your first job?
As we debark the ship of young Mr Feezell, we greet the wiser-but-not-entirely-wise Mr Feezell who starts his high school years in Mexico! Although, he wasn’t there for the tacos. Instead, he was helping refugees who didn’t have access to housing. Little did he know that this would be the start of his career of becoming a teacher.
5. How did you become a teacher? What was your dream job as a kid?
Once he was finally done with high school, Mr Feezell got a job at a fast food restaurant called “Jack in the Box” until he got very good at his job and was eventually promoted to be a teacher! …Well, that would have been quite an offer but unfortunately that’s not how the world works. Like many people in this world, he had to go through yet another cycle of late-night studying and exams until he achieved the long-deserved degree and started teaching in Los Angeles for 11 years. Though, if he were to be honest, it was always his childhood ambition to become a talented musician, playing the trumpet for the muse of others’ entertainment. But as he grew up, it struck him that he preferred to keep his talent to himself, as a way to escape the hollow reality of life.
Until one day he met his wife in California, got married happily and moved to Yokohama. All the while searching for a school to accept and what better than Saint Maur International School? I mean, who in their right mind would want to go to YIS? So here he is, teaching us all golden shovel poems and forcing us to demolish our NaNowrimo goals!
Speaking of our intellectually-gifted school, not many know that Saint Maur originally wanted to create a hand bell choir! And like an angel from heaven, Mr. Feezell knew a bit about handbells and came just in time. Some say that it might be why he was hired to teach at Saint Maur, others claim that it’s simply because of his fondness for reading and writing and going to the library.
6. Where would we find you if you’re not at Saint Maur?
While most people know that Mr Feezell’s secret lair is located in the library, he sure does enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee and a good book at home. And if that may not seem very active to you, he does have a dynamic freetime activity: walking his friend’s pet dog, Anko. Whether or not any of you are lucky enough to spot him in the wild, make sure to say “hi”, and he might just let you pet his dog (nothing promised).
7. What is your favorite memory working as a teacher at Saint Maur?
All in all, Mr Feezell has worked a shocking 14 years at Saint Maur! Though in his many years of hard work and dedication at this school, the one thing that has been keeping him motivated and excited to come to school every day are the students and staff, and their diverse cultures he gets to learn about. He explained that “each person has their own style and sense of humour.” Albeit, he also enjoys the exceptional poems students write about capybaras.
8. Can you tell us about how you began supervising the Newspaper Club? What’s your favorite part about supervising the Newspaper Club?
Many students will also know Mr Feezell as the supervisor of the Newspaper club. But how did that come to be? And why does he still put up with the little journalists? Turns out that fate brought him to where he is today. And that fate just happens to be a Saint Maur graduate called Addisyn, who randomly plucked a meandering Mr Feezell from the hallways and asked him to come supervise the club. Forcibly, he said yes, though he would prefer hanging out at the next door library instead of the mac lab. But at the end of the day, he still likes to see the students take ownership of the toil and work cooperatively with motivation to be part of the newspaper club and “twist teacher’s arms to make them do interviews.”
9. What advice would you like to give to students?
Finally, we come to an end on the journey of Mr Feezell’s life, who would like to give crucial advice to all. While he does believe in the life motto “chill like a capybara”, he prefers to have his students know what really brings them happiness and keep it close to them, so during the darkest of times they have something to look forward to. “Find those things,” he commands, “When you [students] need help with something–when you have a problem–reach out. Because at Saint Maur, help will always be given to those who ask for it.”
If you were really curious what his gateway to happiness would be, it would be, you guessed it, books! And one must-read (that you can find in the library!) is called “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”, which just so happens to be this year’s high school drama production. So if anyone is interested in watching the play, Mr Feezell highly considers reading the book before going to watch the play.
And remember; chill like a capybara!
Pauline Li Gaudefroy