A Little French, a Lasting Lesson: Benjamín Villaseñor’s Path to Teaching

At a shop in Walnut Creek, Benjamin Villaseñor heard the owner speaking French and decided to try something he had never done outside of class: start a conversation in the language he was learning.

The shop sold imported French artwork and artisanal goods. Villaseñor had approached the counter to pay, but the exchange became an opportunity to put his studies to use. When he spoke French, the owner answered in French—and kept going.

Before Villaseñor left, the owner complimented his accent and how well he spoke.

For a college student whose interest in French had started as a way to earn elective credits with friends, the conversation meant something.

“It felt really exciting,” Villaseñor said. He felt a sense of accomplishment, “like what I had studied and worked to do actually paid off.”

Today, as a Spanish and French teacher in Vallejo City Unified School District, he gets to watch students experience their own versions of that moment: a phrase exchanged between friends, a question answered, a new concept finally understood.

Now in his seventh year with VCUSD, Villaseñor teaches grades nine through 12. His approach reflects the people who helped him reach his own classroom, particularly a professor who understood that he was juggling work and school, and a father whose generosity often took the form of an extra shift or another plate at the dinner table.

As the district celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, those relationships help tell the story of the educator he has become.

Villaseñor grew up speaking Spanish at home with his family, whose heritage is Spanish and Mexican. French entered his life almost casually.

He and his college friends wanted to take a language class for fun. After the first semester, he kept enrolling in the next level. His interest grew as he learned more about the language and culture, eventually leading him to a bachelor’s degree in French from Sacramento State.

His friends still tease him about how far he took their elective.

“Now my friends like to say that I am also French,” he said, “because I am the only one in my friend group that speaks French and continues to practice and learn it.”

Continuing his education required both support and enthusiasm. While attending Solano Community College, a problem with his financial aid left him paying for classes and working long hours to cover the cost.

His French professor, Madame Marlow-Muñoz, helped him stay on track. When he needed more time to finish an assignment, she gave it to him. When he missed class, she worked with him during office hours and helped him catch up.

“She didn’t have to do that and could’ve just told me to read the book,” Villaseñor said. “But she was always willing to help me make sure that I was caught up with the class.”

He remembers the patience when a student in his own classroom falls behind. He tries to understand what support they need and remains flexible enough to help them continue.

Marlow-Muñoz also recognized his interest in teaching and suggested a course called “Cross-Age Teaching.” Participants learned to plan lessons, taught Spanish or French at assigned elementary schools, and returned to discuss what had gone well and what they needed to improve.

Villaseñor had been interested in becoming a teacher since childhood. The experience gave that interest a direction.

The children he taught began without knowing French. By the end of the semester, they could say short phrases and sing a song in the language. Watching that progress affirmed his desire to become a language teacher.

He earned associate degrees in French and university studies at Solano before completing his bachelor’s degree at Sacramento State, then a master’s degree in education and his teaching credential at National University.

He still keeps in touch with Marlow-Muñoz, who invites him to join French conversation activities with her classes. Some of her teaching practices have become his own, including face-to-face conversations and verbal quizzes that help students practice vocabulary and phrases.

Another example of how to support people came from his father.

At 15, Villaseñor’s father arrived in the United States alone, without knowing English or anyone here. He learned the language and worked to support himself, later taking on the responsibility of providing for a family.

Growing up, Villaseñor did not feel that his family struggled financially. Looking back, he understands more about what his father did to make that possible. When money was tight, he picked up extra shifts or a second job. At restaurants, he made sure his family had something to eat before he did.

At home, anyone who arrived around dinnertime would be offered a plate. On days off, he stayed busy tending the lawn or building things for the backyard.

“To me, these acts showed how my dad was a selfless person, hardworking, always going the extra mile, and always looking out for others before himself,” Villaseñor said.

That example shapes how he thinks about his responsibilities to students.

“As a teacher, I always try to put the student first and try to be as flexible as possible to make sure that I can support my students.”

His connection to family and heritage also lives in familiar foods: the tamales and pozole his mother and aunt cook, as well as favorites such as paella and patatas bravas. Spanish remains the language he speaks with his family at home.

In his classroom, language learning has a creative side.

Every May, his Spanish students work in groups to build piñatas, which he hangs in the classroom when they are finished. This year, his French students will also make and decorate papier-mâché Mardi Gras masks to display.

For a recurring Halloween assignment, students draw a monster and describe it in French or Spanish. Some of their creations go on the classroom wall, showing what they can imagine and express in another language.

Villaseñor wants students to feel comfortable enough to practice. He sees young people from different backgrounds building friendships, even as some navigate challenges such as housing instability, difficulties at home, or adjusting to a new country.

He admires their resilience and reminds them that there is more than one route to a goal. His advice also includes a memorable phrase: “Be a goldfish.” Acknowledge a difficult moment, learn from it, and keep moving rather than allowing it to hold you back.

He knows the difference encouragement can make. He experienced it in a professor’s office hours and in a shopkeeper’s willingness to keep a conversation going.

Now, when students turn to their friends and try out a few words in Spanish or French, Villaseñor gets to see that encouragement take effect. He remembers what it felt like to discover that the words he had practiced in class could carry him into a conversation—and he wants his students to have that feeling, too.