Today on Beyond My Years, host Ana Torres walks alongside Luz Selenia Muñoz as she retraces the path that led her from planning to become a psychologist in Puerto Rico to living in Chicago as a veteran bilingual teacher with 20 years under her belt. Luz shares how finding her happy place in second grade took time, describing how she quickly learned that teaching upper elementary was not for her. She also dives into how immigrating from Puerto Rico to the United States taught her how to persevere through the struggles of a new environment, and how she learned to balance her independence with reliance on and trust in her fellow educators for support. Luz stresses some of the most important lessons she has learned along the way, including teaching a culture rather than just a language, staying focused on your target language, making connections with students, trying something different instead of giving up, and understanding that tomorrow will get better.

Show notes:

• “Dear Ana”: Tell us about a veteran teacher who inspired you! 
• Connect with Luz Selenia Muñoz:
  • Instagram: @lucecitalunera
  • Facebook: @sonrisas.que.inspiran.dual.language
• Listen: Check out Luz Muñoz’s bonus conversation with Ana Torres in Spanish 
• Listen: How the Science of Reading serves multilingual/English learners 
• Subscribe to Beyond My Years: https://amplify.com/beyond-my-years
• Follow us on Instagram: @amplify.education 
• Connect with Eric Cross: https://www.ericcross.org/ 
• Connect with Ana Torres: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayansi-ana-torres-m-ed-26a10654/

Quotes:
“I'm here to teach this language. And it's not just the language; it's the culture that comes with the language.” —Luz S. Muñoz

“Sometimes people say, ‘Oh, teaching is not for me. I tried for one year and it didn't work.’ Maybe you were in the wrong place. Maybe that's not the grade level for you. Just try something different before quitting. Try something different.” —Luz S. Muñoz

“You need a lot of love for your students. Doesn't matter where you are. You need love for your students and understanding that tomorrow is going to get better.” —Luz S. Muñoz