With a growing choir program that continues to expand at Portola High, student teacher and California State Fullerton student David Pulanco currently assists choir director Adrian Rangel-Sanchez. Pulanco spectates classes and will take over to teach multiple of Rangel’s classes in the spring as part of his single subject teaching credential program.
Pulanco first met Rangel at the CSUF campus when they were both students in the same choir program in 2023. Pulanco was a tenor singer while Rangel was a bass singer. Both were members of Concert Choir while Rangel was a part of University Singers, and both performed in concerts such as the Fall, Spring and Holiday Spectaculars.
“What drew my eye to [Portola High] was just how vast the program was,” Pulanco said. “We have over 170 students over, I think, over four ensembles and just getting that amount of experience going from the complete beginners all the way to our most advanced students. Not a lot of schools can offer that, and I wanted to get that breath studying.”
This immersive process allows for a better understanding of how to be the best teacher possible, according to Pulanco. He said he enjoys working with students individually, understanding how they best learn and most of all, watching them work hard during class and for the music.
“Everybody’s friendly here, and it’s given me ideas for what I want when I have my own classroom and what, ideas like just building the environment,” Pulanco said. “Mr. Rangel-Sanchez is great at having these discussions with his students and building that sense of community and trust, whether it’s through icebreakers or holding conversations, like deep conversations about the music. I want to instill that bond between me and my students as well when I go into the field.”
Pulanco is already excited about the various shows this school year and hopes to work his way up to his goals while improving his teaching. The impact of Pulanco’s witty and clever ways of approaching various learning topics is already noticed by students, according to vocal performance member and sophomore Layla Reyes.
“I think his teaching style is very fun and energetic,” Reyes said. “When we do warm ups, he makes the warm ups really fun and energetic, which makes us very focused and makes us want to learn from him.”
Pulanco plans to graduate CSUF’s Single Subject Teacher Credential Program and work at a high school where he can build his own choir program following Rangel’s structure.
“I hope that he can connect with the students and that students will find unique ways to connect with him and learn from him,” Rangel said. “Especially the unique things he brings that are maybe different from what I offer the students.”
