Alberto Rodriguez, also known as Mr. Rodriguez, has been teaching for twenty years. Three of those years have been at Hughson High School. Rodriguez was inspired by his family to become a teacher because he looked up to them. His favorite part about teaching is seeing the spark of understanding light up in his students’ eyes. Rodriguez’s favorite lessons to teach are anything to do with hands-on work and lessons that are engaging. He absolutely loves being a chemistry teacher. He loves how fascinating it is and loves teaching the wonders of it to his students. If Rodriguez was not a teacher, he would love to be a scientist or a researcher because he is very passionate about the real world around him. 

Rodriguez’s goal for his students by the end of the year is to develop a strong foundation in chemistry. His way to adapt with students who have special needs is to, “believe in creating an inclusive classroom where all students feel valued and supported. I use a variety of strategies to adapt my teaching, such as providing individualized attention, using assistive technology, and modifying assignments or assessments.” Rodriguez’s way to deal with classroom discipline is to set rules and build a positive and healthy relationship with his students. How Rodriguez handles conflicts between students is to advise them to talk to each other peacefully. His ideas to engage students who are struggling is to offer extra help, provide more instruction, and use a variety of teaching methods. 

Rodriguez likes to handle stress by providing self care for himself. His advice for someone who would like to become a teacher is, “If you’re passionate about helping others and making a positive impact on the world, teaching is a rewarding career.” One of Rodriguez’s favorite memories at this school was when a former student returned to his class to visit and shared how his class inspired them to pursue a career in science.