Staff Report
Two Hays CISD middle school teachers received a surprise Monday morning when they learned they are finalists for the H-E-B Excellence in Education awards. Eric Rodriguez, a math teacher at RC Barton Middle School and Victor Hernandez, a science teacher at DJ Red Simon Middle School, each got a visit from a contingent of Hays CISD administrators and H-E-B personnel (including the grocery chain’s beloved mascot, H-E-Buddy), complete with cookies, balloons and a check for $1,000. Each school will also receive $1,000. Hernandez received the award for Rising Star Secondary while Eric Rodriguez received his for Leadership Secondary. Both Rodriguez and Hernandez will go on to compete for larger cash prizes at the statewide competition in May.
H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a way to support public education in Texas. It’s now the largest monetary program for educators in the state, spotlighting best practices and celebrating the passion and creativity of Texas educators.
The Hays Free Press followed the H-E-B group into Barton Middle School to see the presentation to Rodriguez, a sixth grade math teacher.
Students like Peter Jaudegis, 12, and Jack Holdridge, 11, said Rodriguez is a really good teacher.
What makes him a good teacher?
Jaziel Diaz, 12, said, “The way he teaches. He gets up, he does lots of examples and makes sure we know how to do it.”
Kionna Espino, 12, said, “He teaches us in different ways. He’ll help you if you don’t understand.”
Daniel Bergmann, 12, said, “He’s a very good teacher. He helps me whenever I don’t really understand the question and he’s a lot of fun to be with.”
Rodriguez said what made him want to be an educator was his seventh grade teacher, who didn’t teach in the traditional sense.
“He told a story. He was an entertaining kind of teacher,” Rodriguez said. “He brought a piano to class one day and taught us songs about the geographic regions of the world.”
Rodriguez said students have a mental block about math sometimes, but he asks them to come to class with an open mind.
“They don’t have to be concerned that somebody is going to judge them,” he said. “We’re all learning together.”
