Donesa Rodriguez - Teaching Then and Now

Donesa Rodriguez then and now in the teaching world. I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my best friends and who is also one of my greatest supporters in my teaching career, Donesa Rodriguez. She has been teaching at Spring Creek Elementary for 21 years in Garland ISD and teaches 2nd grade inclusion. When Donesa began teaching, they didn't even have a "teacher computer" in their classrooms. They did have a computer lab, but only went once or twice a week. They had thier chalkboards, and if you were lucky, had an overhead projector. They taught as if the kids were in college. Lecture to them what you wanted them to know by showing it on the chalkboard or overhead and then have them complete a worksheet. Now, she has a computer with a web cam and document camera which is standard in every classroom as well as 4 computers in each class for the students to use. They also go to the computer lab for lessons every day for 30 minutes. The lessons are taught through the use of computers by such things as powerpoint, videos, or even research. Technology in the classroom has redirected how we teach and think. Kids would rather work on a computer playing an educational "game" rather than sit and do worksheets all day. When Donesa started teaching 21 years ago, the teaching style was a "whole language" approach. She would pick a topic and create lessons in each academic area that related to that topic. It would all center around one theme. She didn't have the TEKS or STAAR to prepare for...she just taught however she wanted. There weren't really any "guidelines" to follow. They just picked topics that they had some books for in their classroom or that were next in the basal readers and created lessons around that of what the kids needed to know according to the state. Now they must cover certain TEKS that the state has set out for the students to know. Her district even has curriculum they must follow when teaching their students. Now, it is more individualized instruction in teaching. They look at each child in the class and see what ways that child has the most success in learning. We center our lessons around our TEKS and also try to get our kids to use higher-order thinking skills in every lesson, Blooms. There is also so much more that is required of our kids. We don't have a choice but to raise the rigor in our classrooms. We lean more towards project-based assignments or working with a partner or group, rather than a worksheet after every lesson. Donesa has been one of my greatest inspirations in teaching, she loves her kids like they were her own. I used to go by and see her during the day when I wasn’t teaching and the kids were always so respectful in her class and they really enjoyed learning what she was teaching. I know that if I ever have a question she will be right there to show me how to go about figuring it out. Teaching has been her life and her students have been richer for having her as a teacher.