A little bit about your teacher
Personal Life
I am originally from Guatemala and have been living in the United States since 1980. I am married to a wonderful woman and have two great children (15 and 12). As some of my students know, I love to travel. And sometimes, I travel with my students to Europe. I think travelling is crucial in developing a better understanding of the world around us. Traveling also gives you a real perspective of what is happening around the world. U.S. citizens unfortunatelly don't travel enough outside of the country. I hope to travel to South American and perhaps Africa and Asia.
Another one of my passions is cooking. I love to cook and therefore very critical about food. Some of my students may just say that I am a hater. But in reality, if you are going to eat, it has to be good. I am always looking for the next dish to cook...whether it may be Lomo Saltado, or Steak Au Poivre. Let me know if you want the recipes.
Unfortunately I was not given the talent gene, but I sure know how to appreciate good music. My musical tastes is varied...As you will find out once I start playing music in my classroom, I can go from Manu Chao (my fav) to Andrea Bocelli, and then to the Beatles, and perhaps finish with Los Tigres del Norte or Cuco Sanchez. However, I could not go a day without playing something from Guatemala, Ricardo Arjona, or my newly discovered favorite...Gaby Moreno.
So you want to know a little bit about me... I graduated from Belmont High School in Los Angeles. I then attended UCSB and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with an emphasis in International Relations, and Sociology. I received my teaching credential and Masters at National University. Since you should never stop learning, I have been taking classes at several community colleges, some for fun, and others to become a better teacher. If you see me around campus, come and say hi. This is my 21st or 22nd year in the teaching profession. I began my teaching career at Virgil Middle School. I taught social studies, and was in charge of technology. I was there for 5 years until I decided to try my luck at a high school. I was very lucky to find a position at Franklin HS. However, I stopped teaching social studies and began teaching computers. I loved my time there because I met great colleagues and awesome students. But due to cut backs, I was let go and ended up at Bernstein high school. A brand new high school in the Hollywood area. I worked there 2 years. The drive home was the main reason I decided to leave that high school. Sometimes it would take me up up to two hours to get home. My prayers were answered when I received an offer to teach at South East. This is my 5th year at this school and I enjoy myself more each year, except for the schedule. I currently teach Government and Business. So if you are currently my student, welcome. If you are not, I hope you get to take one of my classes.