Edgewood ISD’s Zenaida Rodriguez received the KENS5 ExCEL Award for her outstanding work at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary, where she teaches fourth grade in a bilingual classroom.
Rodriguez has taught at HBG Elementary for fifteen years, but as she recalls in her interview with KENS 5 News, school was not always a place of comfort for her. After moving from Mexico to the U.S. in her Elementary years, the language barrier of an all English-speaking classroom was a significant hurdle. Despite the challenges she faced, Mrs. Rodriguez succeeded in achieving a Master’s degree thanks to all her hard work and those who supported her. Among those supportive figures was her fifth and sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Sullivan, who served as Rodriguez’s inspiration for what a teacher should be.
Today, Mrs. Rodriguez ensures that all her students are able to succeed by incorporating different methods of instruction into her teaching and speaking both English and Spanish in the classroom. Through these methods, no matter how a student learns or which language they speak, they will be able to thrive in the classroom and enjoy a positive learning environment.
The KENS5 ExCEL Award is granted to one teacher in each San Antonio school district. Honorees like Mrs. Rodriguez receive a trophy and $1000 to congratulate and thank them for the positive impact they have on their students. The goal of the award is to highlight outstanding educators within the community and to demonstrate the value of such wonderful teachers to students throughout the districts.
Congratulations Mrs. Rodriguez, and thank you for all you do for your students.
Sources: Edgewood ISD Twitter, KENS5 News
Blog by: Laura Hermes, Intern, UT Austin