By: Riley Figueroa, Myles Chu Staff Writers
After working for 2 years at Mission High School then another 2 years at McAteer High School, World and US History teacher, Mr. Rodriguez, has called Galileo home for almost 20 years. After McAteer High School was shut down, Mr. Rodriguez was given the choice of where he wanted to teach. He chose Galileo because of the beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and because of its location in the Marina.
Mr. Rodriguez decided to become a high school teacher because he enjoys being around teenage students, the social interaction, and because he wanted a job where there are people around him constantly. He chose to become a history teacher because he likes giving kids context from a primary source.
One of Mr. Rodriguez’s favorite part about teaching is having discussions with his students, in which they can interact with the curriculum for about 30 minutes before they start a test because he feels it prepares them for those tests. Additionally, Mr. Rodriguez believes that history is something that needs deep focus and preparation for, which is why he wants to assist in helping students understand the content much more smoothly. On the other hand, Mr. Rodriguez’s least favorite part is the constant work of printing many papers for his students in all his classes because he doesn’t like to work with the computer all the time.
The one thing he has learned over the years is to go at a pace where the students can keep up and not rush through the material. This allows his students to digest all of the information at their own pace while also letting them maintain deadlines so they won’t feel stressed out.
With his many years of wisdom, Mr. Rodriguez has 3 pieces of advice for new, upcoming teachers. He says, “You have to enjoy being around kids, especially teenagers. Secondly, everyday is a new day, so don’t expect anything to be the same, and lastly, teachers shouldn’t take anything personal.”
