Recently LFCISD announced each campus’ “Teacher of the Year,’ which was contested among worthy teachers on each campus. The district and community are very proud of the winners at each school, as these teachers have demonstrated their nonstop dedication and care when it comes to the education of their students.

The winner for Los Fresnos United is Eduardo Lugo Jr. and for Los Fresnos High School is Luis Muniz.

They sat down with the Talon’s Elianne Tolosa to share their thoughts on winning, advice to new teachers, and much more.

How do you feel about winning teacher of the year?

Lugo: “I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to represent LFU. There are a lot of great and worthy teachers here at LFU that could easily have been awarded teacher of the year this year. I feel proud that I am also able to represent the Career and Technical Education Department (CTE) because what CTE represents is really important to me.” 

Muniz: “With all honesty, I feel honored, thankful, and above all, humbled by this title.”

How has your experience teaching been?

Lugo: “In the six years of my teaching experience, I have had good experiences. All my administrators have been very supportive and accommodating to help me become a better teacher.”

Muniz: “Being a third-year educator, my experience has been awesome so far! Switching careers from healthcare to education has been the best choice I’ve ever made.”

How have you impacted your students?

Lugo: “I feel I have impacted my students by being a safe, supportive person that is understanding and willing to listen to them. An example of this is the students who choose to spend their lunchtime with me. Some students share what is happening in their lives, ask for advice, make small talk, or just sit quietly and pass the time.”

Muniz: “From various letters I’ve received from my students, there is not a specific story I can choose because I believe that every day is an opportunity to change a student’s life.”

What are some things you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

Lugo: “I’m proud to have helped mentor a new teacher within our CTE department. Teaching is a difficult job and support is needed on many levels. As a first-year teacher, it is important to have someone to talk to and help guide you through the rollercoaster that is the school year. For me, being able to share ideas and best practices to help someone make their job easier or help them grow as a teacher is rewarding.

Muniz: “I am proud of starting my Phlebotomy/Patient Care Technician Program full time at the high school, being able to secure a contract with a local hospital and clinic so my students can attend clinical rotations and experience the real world in the medical field, and being able to achieve 90% passing rate for my program become a teacher mentor, work on curriculum writing for the district, and assist students in HOSA activities/community service/competition.”

What do you hope your students remember most about you as a teacher?

Lugo: “I hope my students remember the positive feeling (fun, good, safe, comfortable, supported) they had just being in my class. I hope they remember I am always available to help them and support them with anything I can.”

Muniz: “When my seniors graduate, I want them to take with them the best learning experiences that happened in my classroom, but at the same time, I want them to know me as the most caring, fun, understanding, passionate, dedicated, motivated, and excited teacher that has positively impacted their life. 

How has your role as a teacher evolved over the years you’ve been in the classroom?

Lugo: “I have only been a teacher for 6 years so I don’t feel my role has changed that much within those years but getting through the pandemic has changed how I teach my content and manage my class. In teaching my courses, I try to be more focused on the core content or important skills I teach and create learning experiences/projects that cover multiple learning objectives. I just try to use more project-based learning activities within my classes to give students more self-directed learning opportunities.  In managing my class, I also try to find new ways to build a connection with students. With my current class schedule, new students start my class every 9 weeks. Getting to know new students every 9 weeks can be challenging so finding authentic ways to make connections is important to me.”

Muniz:  “Being a fairly new teacher, I still have a lot to learn. If I compare myself to two years ago, I’ve added different ways to build a positive relationship with my students. I’ve learned to create an atmosphere and environment where students feel safe, loved, and important.”

Did you have a teacher who made an impact on you as a student that influenced who you are as a teacher now? 

Lugo:  “My basketball coach made the biggest impression on me in high school. I was very dedicated to the basketball program and trying to improve my basketball skills. As a basketball player, I spent a lot of time with our coaching staff and they kept me motivated to improve my skills. They also were good mentors for life outside of basketball making sure we did well in our classes and guiding us through my high school years to be humble, hard-working young men.”

Muniz: “Yes! As a Med High graduate Class of 2010, I had a teacher named Mrs. Jimenez. Mrs. Jimenez was also a laboratory professional and an educator. My freshman year was the first time I got introduced to blood smears, body specimens, needles, and clinical laboratory chemicals. That was my moment of realization that I should follow in her footsteps and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I have been a laboratory healthcare professional for 8 years and an educator for 3 years.”

 What advice would you give to new teachers?

Lugo: “The advice I would give to a new teacher is to find a teacher you can trust and ask questions for help from. Try to earn the respect of your students and show your students that you respect them. Plan, plan, plan…create some sort of plan, whether it’s for the next day, week, or month, try to plan your day/lessons and be prepared for the next day.”

Muniz: “Don’t give up. Don’t give up on being an educator. Don’t give up on a student. A student might be in need of guidance and you could be that perfect person who can help! We are not only teachers but human beings. We are able to invest our time in students in order to have a great positive outcome in their lives.”