Many students at Hen Hud only know The Academy or its teachers at a glance, as only a select few visit The Academy on a daily basis. But down in the basement, Hen Hud and the Academy have welcomed a new and passionate social studies teacher. Meet Mr. Guida.

Before transitioning to history education, Mr. Guida was an art teacher in Yonkers and the Bronx and a painter, creating public murals and teaching painting classes. 

Mr. Guida got his bachelor’s degree in history from Purchase College and pursued a career as an archeologist; his work took him to many different places all over the country. After a few months he grew tired of this line of work and returned to New York to receive a master’s degree in education from Hunter College. 

Outside of work life, Mr. Guida enjoys watching movies such as There Will Be Blood and anything by the Coen Brothers, listening to punk and going to punk shows, and his favorite painting is Untitled by Yves Tanguy. He’s a proud Italian who worked on a fruit farm in Italy for many summers, developing fond memories.

Working in the Metropolitan Museum of Art while getting his education degree, surrounded by masterpieces, Mr. Guida acquired an “art itch” that hasn’t left him to this day. It finds itself in his form of teaching, where an emphasis is put on art as a lens to view history and society. 

Throughout our conversation, Mr. Guida gave remarks on the role of art and history in society. Here are a few excerpts from our conversation.

In response to the vandalism attacks on Rothko’s Chapel in 2018- “It’s interesting how much art becomes a battlefield for political views and social issues.”

Francisco- “Why is it important to teach history to the current generation?”

Guida- “In my opinion, history is super important because we aren’t done living it yet. […] You know, we think [of history] as these disconnected events, but history is all connected.”

Francisco- “Why is art so important in America today?”

Guida- “It’s our social commentary, it’s our emotional outlet, and it’s our way of connecting with each other”

Francisco- “Do you believe art is underappreciated in the current education system?”

Guida- “Rather than say it’s underappreciated I might say it’s underutilized. […] My philosophy as a teacher is that I need to learn my students, so that I can find which one of those threads is most interesting to you guys. If I have a group of kids who aren’t interested in art, I’m not gonna try to shove art down their throat, like that’s not gonna work”.

The best teachers have the gift of being able to spread interest to their students; they foster passion in students like nobody else can. Mr. Guida is no exception, as his love for history and art has spread to many of us here at Hen Hud. If you ever find yourself wanting to know more about art or history, don’t be afraid to stop by his room for a chat.