A life spent making a difference.
Author, veteran educator, and publisher. Bibi Angola is the youngest of ten children — and she spent nearly three decades in Los Angeles classrooms before distilling what she learned into The Gentle Red Pen.
Teacher of the Year
Paramount Adult School · 2012–2013
Education & credentials
B.A. Sociology
The College of New Jersey · English & Spanish minors
M.A. Teaching
Seton Hall University
Language Development Specialist
LDS Certificate · University of La Verne
Preliminary Administrative Credential
University of La Verne
English Dept. Chair · Mentor Teacher
4 years · 3 years
Studied abroad
England · Mexico
A teacher for the students others gave up on.
Angola’s teaching experience is exceptionally broad — from traditional high schools to adult schools and continuation schools for at-risk students. She has taught English, ESL, Creative Writing, History, Health, Social Studies, Journalism, and Chess.
She didn’t just teach; she shaped curriculum and coached new educators, serving as an English Department Chairperson and a Mentor Teacher. Her philosophy is simple and radical: the teacher is a facilitator, not a strict instructor.
“The student is the subject that we, as teachers, must learn to master.”
— Bibi Angola, on her teaching ethos
Where she studied & served
The College of New Jersey
B.A. Sociology · English & Spanish minors
Seton Hall University
M.A. Teaching
University of La Verne
Language Development Specialist · Preliminary Administrative Credential
Paramount Adult School
Teacher of the Year · 2012–2013
Three decades, and the book they became.
1980s–2010sNearly 30 years in the classroom
Angola taught in New Jersey and then for decades across the Los Angeles area — English, ESL, Creative Writing, History, Health, Journalism, and even Chess — with a heart for adult and at-risk students.
2010The Gentle Red Pen
Through her imprint, Make a Difference Publishing, she released her defining work: 101 tips distilling her decades of experience into compassionate, practical guidance for educators.
Awarded by Awarded by 2013Teacher of the Year
Honored as Paramount Adult School Teacher of the Year for 2012–2013 — a career capstone recognizing her impact on students others had given up on.