Greetings Students and Parents,

I am Walter Maciel and will be teaching World History and Cinema Studies this year.  This is now my 23rd year as a high school history teacher and have taught all levels of students from English learners to honors students.  In my time, I have served as co-department chair, coach for girls freshman and JV softball, assistant principal, and have been a county mentor for beginning teachers.  This is now my 4th year at the Lake and look forward to doing my best to ensure every student succeeds.  

I was born to immigrant parents from Mexico who came here in the 1960s in search of a better life knowing no English.  After graduating from Valley View High School in 1993 (part of the 2nd graduating class from the Moreno Valley school), I went to UC Riverside and graduated with my BA in history.  After taking a few years off, i returned to school and earned my masters degree in education from Cal State San Bernardino in 2006.  In doing so, I became the second member of either side of my family to earn a bachelors degree and the first to earn a masters degree.  

In my free time, I love cycling, cross-fit, and watching or participating in most sports.  I also love traveling with my 2 step daughters and beautiful wife, including camping anywhere we can find a patch of dirt and trees.  One of my deepest held beliefs is that every single person can succeed, if given a bit of guidance and shown the right path.  That is my goal: to provide all of my students with the guidance and path to succeed in my class.  

This school year has proven to be a challenge for everyone in education and will make myself available as often as I can to help ease those challenges.  Any emails that I receive before 8pm usually are answered the same day, with those received after 8pm being answered the following day.  We live in an unprecedented world with new challenges and I look forward to doing my best to meet it head on for the benefit of all my students.