In addition to duties as an English Language Development teacher, Rachel Rodriguez will teach seventh-grade English at Denair Middle School during the 2026-27 school year and ninth-grade English at Denair High.
But Rodriguez didn’t have the typical English-class experience when she was in seventh and ninth grades.
“In seventh grade, my teacher went out on maternity leave, and we had a long-term substitute,” said Rodriguez. “Then, during my freshman year at Pitman, my teacher made a career change during the year, and we had a long-term substitute. I didn’t get the full experience during those years.”
She’s looking forward to learning alongside her students.
“I’m excited about reading ‘The Outsiders’ for the first time,” she said. “There’s definitely going to be a lot of learning for my students and myself.
“I know there will some methods that won’t work in my classroom, but that’s going to set me up for future success. I’m humble enough to know that this is not going to be a perfect year, but it’s going to be a good one.”
Here are some other things to know about Rachel Rodriguez.
Family members: Husband Isai Rodriguez, a math teacher at Oakdale High School.
Educational background: I graduated from Pitman High School, spent a year at Sonoma State and then graduated with my bachelor’s in English from Stanislaus State, where I also attended for my teaching credential.
Previous teaching jobs: This is my first real teaching job. I student-taught under Katie Jeans at Pitman, and I spent some time substitute teaching.
Subjects/grades taught at Denair: ELA at Denair Middle School, four sections of seventh-grade English at DMS, and one section of ninth-grade English at DHS.
What attracted you to Denair? It’s good to be somewhere local and close to home. I love the small community vibe.
What most inspires you about teaching? I love the ability to connect, support, challenge, and encourage students. I love getting to know each individual student and see how all their unique personalities bring something valuable to the classroom environment.
What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Because this is my first year teaching, everything is a challenge I’m excited to tackle. From building lessons to establishing my teaching style, it’s going to be a wonderful adventure.
What is a favorite teaching tool or activity? I love using journal responses and class discussions to get students thinking deeply and connecting content to their own experiences.
What do you want your students to remember? I want them to remember the joy of getting lost in a good story.
What can parents do to support you? Let your students learn to take the initiative when it comes to asking me questions or needing help. I want to keep guardians in the loop as much as possible and I am open to communication. However, your students will be the ones most familiar with classroom expectations, due dates, grading criteria, etc. Support them in navigating how to communicate with teachers interpersonally before swooping in on their behalf.
What’s something that would surprise people about your job? There are so many creative opportunities to make education fun and meaningful.
What do you do for fun? In my free time I play sports recreationally. My main ones are volleyball, pickleball, and softball. I also enjoy traveling, going to concerts, and watching baseball games.
A little-known fact about me is … I’m very good at puzzles: jigsaws, crosswords, escape rooms, word searches, riddles, logic puzzles.
