Introducing…the four latest faculty faces in the 2023-2024 school year! As the school year began, Oxford welcomed its newest Patriots, Mrs. Zuhey Altman, Ms. Dolly Shueh, Mr. Toby Howell, and Mr. Andrew Banderas. Get to know these teachers who go above and beyond to give their students an unforgettable experience.
Mr. Banderas – Room 906
Mr. Banderas begins his journey at Oxford after 13 years at Katella and Valley High School, now teaching AP European History and World History. Initially an editor for his high school newspaper and a journalism major, he pivoted to become a teacher, but has never stopped uplifting others and promoting activism.
“Even with all the information that we have at our fingertips, unfortunately a lot of it is very personalized and our communities are within a bubble,” Mr. Banderas said. “Engaging your community with the resources they need to get out of that bubble and being aware of issues locally and nationally is really
important.”
Combining his love for advocacy, writing, and education, Mr. Banderas also wrote a book titled “What Shadows May Dream” (2020) in hopes of reaching audiences outside the classroom. Not only does he set his students up for educational success, but he also builds confidence for many to find meaning in the world and within themselves.
“Getting good grades is great. Going to college is awesome. Getting a good career is wonderful,” Mr. Banderas said. “But at the end of the day what is your purpose, and what are you going to leave behind? I hope students will remember this even long after they leave my classroom.”
Mrs. Altman – Room 301
A storyteller and innovator in her Spanish 2, Spanish speakers, and CCR classes, Mrs. Altman guides her students to achieve a deeper understanding of Hispanic culture. Having taken French in school, she discovered a fervent passion for languages, majoring in English and teaching Spanish for 12 years at Orangeview.
Recalling warm memories of making tamales with her grandma during festive holidays, nothing is more important to Mrs. Altman than family. Although she loves teaching the meaningful significance behind culture, Mrs. Altman also values connecting with her students and learning about their language and history.
“I hope my students will learn to value Hispanic culture and the language, since there are so many components within, with over 20 Spanish speaking countries,” Mrs. Altman said. “We need to embrace everyone’s uniqueness, language, and culture.”
Ms. Shueh – Room 306
Ms. Shueh leads the computer science pathway after teaching in the district for more than 20 years, having instructed classes like math, music, and Link Crew. With a bachelors in music and a masters in educational technology, this multifaceted and pragmatic teacher loves applying her analytical skills in hobbies like cooking. In room 306, she directs her students to connect learning with a final product, bringing entertaining games and immersive activities so abstract ideas become more concrete.
“I want my students to walk away with what we learn as a tool to help them solve problems in life. Even if they don’t see the direct connection right away, these are really relevant skills, either the actual tangible skill as in coding or the problem solving that we explore in the world,” Ms. Shueh said.
Mr. Howell – Gym
Starting his 30th year of teaching, Mr. Howell energizes his students in his physical education classes. The beginning of a new expedition, he plans to retire in the near future to travel and settle down near the beach.
Following in the footsteps of his athletic family and his mother and grandma who were district teachers since the 1960s, Mr. Howell played various sports and was a football coach back at Anaheim High School. While teaching, he balances sports and having fun to motivate his students to enjoy fitness and live a healthy lifestyle.
“Seeing kids going from not really liking P.E. to all of the sudden by their senior year being in sports and going to a great college, [for example] I was able to teach some kids who were not sure if they wanted to play but then later suddenly made NFL,” Mr. Howell said. “So I kind of get to take it from point A to point Z.”
