English and ELD teacher, Victor Castaneda has been working for the Stockton Unified District for 22 years. He has learned a lot through his life that has applied to his methods of teaching. He enjoys his career path and values what he has learned along the way. 

Castaneda grew up on military bases, as his father was in the Air Force up until he was in middle school. Castaneda allows everyone to be given the chance to show what they are capable of and what putting in hard work can show you at the end of the day. “I take personal responsibility of the students seriously,” Castaneda says. 

“However, I understand that there are real factors that affect my students’ abilities to complete their assignments so I try to be more lenient than my father and superior officers were with me.” 

Castaneda expressed that one thing he needs to work on is being more understanding with the students. He says, “In the military, giving and getting respect is a big thing. I try to give everyone the respect they’re entitled to.”

Castaneda has been teaching for 22 years. He went to the University of Oregon where he got his degree in Sociology, where the Sociology department was very “liberal and tended to teach ideas that saw the individual as being just as important as the community as a whole,” Castaneda says. 

The way he was taught at the university led him to see teaching as a way to help individuals in becoming better versions of themselves rather than just “another brick in the wall.” 

Sophomore Zachary Glatz says he likes the environment of Castaneda’s room. “I like how he tries to argue with us about the stories we read, which makes the class fun and enjoyable.”

With his degree fresh in hand, Castaneda went into teaching. He first started as a substitute teacher, then went to a teaching credential program at CSU Stanislaus, stating that he was taught “many of the same ideas as when he was at the university”, from his professors. Castaneda has taught at four schools, Monroe Elementary School, Wilson Elementary, Garfield Elementary , and now Stagg, where he is an English teacher as well as an ELD teacher. 

Castaneda’s efforts are noticed and appreciated by his students. Glatz says he likes Castaneda’s teaching style and appreciates the kind of teacher he is at our school, “He teaches like he cares and I see that he does, I can tell how he wants to help and not just give us busy work all the time. he gives us good information and breaks when needed. He’s a good teacher and one of my favorites that I’ve had.”

Castaneda’s respect and appreciation of students’ opinions has rewarded him with a new perspective. “It’s an awesome experience…I didn’t expect them to be so wise and insightful.”