Amalia Marchand
French Teacher and PSHE Coordinator at EIS
Meet our Superheroes
Photographed by Sergey Skopintsev and Marianna Hodash. The publication also includes photographs from a personal archive.
At Exupery International School, we believe that teaching is one of this planet’s most complex and important jobs. Teaching is a lifelong learning. It involves compassion, curiosity, and a sense of humor while being trustworthy, caring, intelligent, and disciplined. That is why we think our teachers are superheroes, and we want to introduce you to them through the “Meet Our Superheroes” series of interviews.
Her journey to Latvia was anything but conventional. During a solo road trip across Europe, Amalia decided to look for work abroad rather than return home — and when faced with offers from both Spain and Latvia, she chose the unfamiliar path. That spontaneous decision turned into a long-term chapter, first at the German and French School and later at Exupery International School, where her part-time role quickly grew into a full-time commitment.
Beyond the classroom, Amalia is an artist, former national-level judo competitor with a brown belt, avid traveler, photographer, poet, and self-published author. Her creativity spills naturally into her teaching — whether through French song playlists or cooking traditional recipes in class (not only from France, but from French-speaking countries around the world). For Amalia, education is about culture, connection, and helping students grow into thoughtful adults.
We are also increasingly trying to explore different cultures through these hands-on activities — practical results that children can not only see, but taste.
— Yes, I now teach French language and literature from Grade 4 to Grade 10 and am also the homeroom teacher for Grade 11. It is different from my previous experience, but we have a lot of fun. For example, we have our own class French songs playlist that we listen to. I have really wonderful students.
— From my students, I am definitely learning resilience, perseverance, kindness — and discovering many new music artists I didn’t know before.
— For me, the emotional toll can be demanding. Of course, your brain gets tired by the end of the day. I feel very empathetic toward my students, and sometimes it can be very tiring. It can be a lot.
— I truly believe in the value and importance of this subject. Teaching real-life skills and addressing topics we all wish we had explored in school — relationships, physical and mental health, financial literacy, global awareness, and how to become a responsible adult — is truly essential.
So, I attended PSHE Association trainings, seminars, and read everything available on the topic. That’s how I became more involved.
— I love reading, painting, photography — anything closely related to art.
Before that, I did judo for thirteen years. I competed nationally and even considered becoming a professional athlete. I earned a brown belt and began working toward my black belt in France, but then I moved to Latvia and couldn’t finish my training. Now I’m thinking about returning to it, at least for the joy of it.
— Where do I start? I think it’s in my blood. My grandparents are adventurous travelers — they once hiked from Barcelona to Belfort for over two months with just backpacks and a tent.
One experience that really stayed with me was when, at sixteen, we hiked for a month from Saint-Tropez to Grenoble, where I’m from, through the Alps. It was incredible.
I’ve also sailed for several months with my father, who is a sailor. Living on the sea is fun!
At some point, I wanted to do something completely on my own, so I got into my car and did a solo Eurotrip. I visited sixteen countries. My favorites were Norway and Finland. I also loved the Czech Republic and Germany and made many friends in Slovakia. It was a fantastic experience.
Last year, I visited South Korea. Now I have this slightly crazy idea: from Busan, you can take a boat to Japan. So that’s one of my plans for the future summer.
— It’s a novel by Olivier Bourdeaut called Waiting for Bojangles (En attendant Bojangles). It’s about mental illness but also about a very strong love — a beautiful and heartbreaking story. It was adapted into a film, and honestly, I sat in the cinema and cried for five minutes after it ended because it was so powerful. I really recommend it to everyone.
— One of the things I truly love is photography. I have already self-published one photography book, and now I have written a poetry-photography book. I am currently looking for a gallery to host an exhibition and publish the second book. I would love to share my work.
— Nature. Feelings. Emotions. That’s what I like to write about. The visuals support the poetry in the book.
Among the many things I’ve dreamed of, I always wanted to be an artist. So I’m trying to pursue that alongside teaching. I work with different media — I mostly paint — and I enjoy exploring various forms of artistic expression. I don’t like sticking to just one thing; it feels limiting.
— Nature. Feelings. Emotions. That’s what I like to write about. The visuals support the poetry in the book.
Among the many things I’ve dreamed of, I always wanted to be an artist. So I’m trying to pursue that alongside teaching. I work with different media — I mostly paint — and I enjoy exploring various forms of artistic expression. I don’t like sticking to just one thing; it feels limiting.
— Listen to your colleagues — you can learn a lot from them. It’s a great way to grow. But don’t try to follow someone else’s path completely. Do your own thing. Trust your instincts, and you will see unique results. Teach with your heart!
