Courtyard Conversations: Student-teacher Victor Munguia

Sarah Hibberd, Staff Writer • September 13, 2021

Editor’s note: Courtyard Conversations is a monthly series, which features the school’s staff members, and a topic that is relevant to their lives or work at the school. TRL staff members speak with each month’s subject in the courtyard. For the first edition, TRL editors Lindsey Hughes and Parker Post kicked off the series interviewing principal Chris Mayfield.

TRL’s Sarah Hibberd interviews student teacher Victor Munguia. Mungia talked about why he wants to teach. (Olivia Lauter)

Former Allen High School student and University of Texas at Dallas graduate Victor Munguia, also known as Mr. M, is spending this fall semester as a student-teacher.

“What I do right now is I take one class period a day, second period precalculus, next week that’s going to go up to three classes,” Munguia said. “I make answer keys, I grade quizzes and I walk around answering questions.”

Munguia received his degree at UTD, and planned to be a teacher since his freshman year of college. His interest in teaching stems from a desire to help students understand arithmetic.

“I’ve just always liked helping people and knowing that someone has the confidence in you to ask and trust you with their questions,” Munguia said. “It’s hard to pinpoint a specific part of me that wanted to teach. It just came from a love of the subject.”

Munguia is currently in math teacher Kellie English’s classroom teaching precalculus, one of the many mathematical subjects he’s studied throughout his career. These subjects have evolved into academic material he’s enthusiastic about passing on to the next generation.

“You have to take content exams for every subject you teach,” Munguia said. “If you wanted to teach [math], you would have to know precalculus, algebra. You’d have to know statistics, calculus and a number of things.”

In order to attain the position he’s in today, Munguia took many teaching-related courses varying from classroom management to curriculum instruction in the teacher development program offered at UTD.

“It’s not as easy as people think,” Munguia said. “There’s a lot that goes into it and any certification is a lot more than just knowing your exam material, you have to know how to apply it.”

With UTD’s field experience lasting one semester, Munguia’s time as a student teacher will not extend to the spring semester, but he plans to maximize his time and involvement in the classroom.

“I know it’s not possible for everyone to love math, but I will say I’d like for everyone to see the value of it and see that it is useful,” Munguia said. “If nothing else, at least you’ve worked your brain a bit.”

About the Contributors

Sarah Hibberd, Editor-In-Chief

All good things must come to an end, but what about great things? Although she’s approaching the end of her high school career, senior Sarah Hibberd is confident her TRL adventures will last a lifetime. With one year left to make her mark, Sarah returns as an over-optimistic Editor-In-Chief eager to maintain The Red Ledger's multi-award-winning legacy. When out of the newsroom, you may find her in scrubs working towards her pharmacy technician certification, stressing over the application process or gushing over her haircare regimen. Sarah is a proud member of HOSA, the Helping Hands Club, and the National Honor Society. As a victim of the baby fever phenomenon and an aspiring healthcare professional, Sarah will stop at nothing to work with tiny humans in the NICU; she believes in speaking for those who can't speak for themselves. She loves Novo Amor music, smelling candles, making lists and laughing with family. Though fiercely independent, Sarah dreads the thought of leaving home, driving her to make this year one for the books.

Olivia Lauter, Section Editor

Heading into her fourth and final year in TRL, senior Olivia Lauter could not be more thrilled to soak up every last minute of shooting sports, events and portraits for her favorite publication. Lauter has spent every day of her high school career with a camera around her neck, and you won’t catch her without it until graduation day. As well as being the photo editor for TRL, Lauter is a varsity cheerleader and involved in PALS and NHS. When she’s not on the sidelines with her camera or cheering on the Leopards, Lauter is with her friends, who she adores more than life itself. You will probably hear “last time, best time” and how “bittersweet” senior year is continually from Lauter this year, but she is just excited to spend one more year doing what she loves alongside the people she loves on TRL.

Kaitlin Anderson, Graphic Designer

Beginning her fourth and final year on staff, senior Kaitlin Anderson is excited to finish off her final year with her favorite TRL family. After joining a journalism class in the seventh grade, Anderson quickly found an opportunity to express her creativity through graphics and has used her passion for it ever since. Outside of class, Anderson spends most of her time rodeoing or helping with FFA show cows. Most people consider rodeo as a hobby, but in her own words, “it’s a lifestyle.” She enjoys spending time with friends and family and loves overcoming challenges that life presents to her. She's eager to conquer her last year of high school and take on what the great world beyond it has to offer.