This month, Hughson High recognizes Mr. Castillo as our Teacher of the Month. As a Spanish teacher, Mr. Castillo plays an important part in helping students to immerse themselves into the language and culture, as well as giving them a better understanding of cultures that are not necessarily their own.

In his classroom, Spanish goes past the basics of vocabulary and grammer. Mr. Castillo brings his classroom to life in his own ways. When asked how he creates a positive classroom environment, he stated, “I try to keep things light. And I have to try to, you know, build relations with my students. We take it a day at a time.” In my experience, his lessons allowed students to build up their confidence in their ability, and it made learning a new language feel much more accessible.

Beyond the classroom, Mr. Castillo is well known for being friendly and supportive, always ready to greet past and current students. As well as teaching Spanish, Mr. Castillo takes on being the Guitar Club Advisor and HYLC Supervising Teacher. In response to being asked what he believed was the most important quality for a high school teacher to have, he amusedly answered, “I think a lot of patience.”

Through his work, students learn skills that are useful beyond the classroom and prepare them for their future academic and personal goals and opportunities. Mr. Castillo’s recognition as Teacher of the Month comes as a surprise to none, as his dedication to teaching makes him an exceedingly deserving winner of this month’s award. Congratulations to Mr. Castillo!