Submitted by Denair Unified School District
David Rodriguez has a short list of people who inspired him.
His father, a farmworker, taught him the value of hard work. An entrepreneurial cousin helped him develop an appreciation for money. A high school coach convinced him to dream big.
But it is the memory of the elementary teacher who didn’t believe a shy, Spanish-speaking boy could learn in her classroom that led him to a career in education and a place on the staff at Denair Middle School.
Rodriguez grew up in Ivanhoe, a poor, gang-plagued community just northeast of Visalia in Tulare County. His father — a former minor-league baseball player in Mexico – worked in the fields. The family only spoke Spanish. Rodriguez had to learn English bit by bit at school, without any special attention.
His third-grade teacher relegated him to the back of her classroom with a pair of headphones. She didn’t think he could understand what she said. One day, while he was standing next to her holding a tray of classroom materials, she called him a “turtle” in front of his fellow students. Ashamed and embarrassed, Rodriguez dropped the tray on her foot. It broke her toe.
The incident led to a conference involving the teacher, school officials and Rodriguez’s parents. Questions were asked … and Rodriguez responded in Spanish and English, shocking the teacher. “She had no idea I spoke English.”
The lesson that stuck with him, Rodriguez says during a quiet break in his sixth-grade Denair classroom, is about supporting and believing in students, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds. Many of his Spanish-speaking peers back then faced the same culture of low expectations. It was a powerful barrier and Rodriguez admits he was a “middle-of-the-road” student.
It was his cross country coach, Juan Garcia, at Golden West High School who finally convinced Rodriguez, by then a budding running star, not to let others define him. Garcia grew up in a similar background and became a role model for Rodriguez, encouraging him to fully develop his intellectual and athletic abilities. Continue reading “Inspiration Guides DMS Teacher, David Rodriguez” »