By: Matthew Allana ’20
Esmeralda  is a new teacher at the Middle School this year. She has been teaching math for 18 years, the past 15 of which were at the Archer School for Girls. She currently teaches two Prealgebra classes, two Algebra classes and one Algebra II Honors class. Muñoz is also one of the advisors for the Math Club.
Muñoz said that she decided to join the school because she was ready for a change after teaching for 15 years at the same place. She said her favorite things so far about school are the assistance and encouragement that new people to the school receive as well as the campus itself.
“I love the support that my department offers on a daily basis. That’s something I’m really appreciative [of]: having a collaborative and supportive department,” she said.
However, according to Muñoz, she originally did not intend to be a teacher. When attending Occidental College, she decided to major in math, as she had always loved it and had always been very good at explaining it to other people. She said that it seemed natural then, that after graduating, she decided to try teaching and found that she really enjoyed it.
“We are very happy to have Ms. Muñoz as a member of the Math Department and hope she will enjoy teaching here,” Math Department Head Bob Pavich said.
Muñoz said there are very few things she does not enjoy about being a teacher, she also said she does not particularly like to grade tests.
According to Muñoz, her favorite topic to teach in math is the unit circle as well as trigonometry in general. While Muñoz said there are very few things she does not enjoy about being a teacher, she also said she does not particularly like to grade tests.
Over the summer, Muñoz and her husband traveled to Spain for two weeks as a break, but when the school year started, she said she was more than ready to start teaching.
Muñoz said that her favorite part about being a teacher is the students’ enthusiasm, as that makes teaching both fun and rewarding. According to students, Muñoz herself is also enthusiastic, and this quality makes class very enjoyable.
“She’s really nice and she’s doing really well, especially for her first year,” Muñoz’s student Allegra Saltzman ’21 said.