SADDLEBACK VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

25631 Peter A. Hartman Way Mission Viejo, California 92691 (949) 586-1234 www.svusd.org
Board of Education
Suzie R. Swartz, President Ginny Fay Aitkens, Vice President Dolores Winchell, Clerk
Dennis Walsh, Member Amanda Morrell, Member
Clint Harwick, Ed.D.
Superintendent

May 10, 2016

To whom it may concern:
Mr. Rodriguez has left a deep impression on our Second Grade Two Way Immersion class. Our Second grade
Two-Way Immersion classroom at Ralph A. Gates Elementary had the honor of working with Mr. Rodriguez
during his spring student teaching requirements for UCI. During this time, Mr. Rodriguez has demonstrated
strong communication skills professionally and with students. It became evident early on that Mr. Rodriguez is
dedicated, knowledgeable, and collaborative in nature. Alongside strong communication skills, Mr. Rodriguez
has developed meaningful connections to all students and a strong rapport with parents.
Mr. Rodriguez quickly learned all classroom routines, and was eager and determined to begin teaching. He
immediately made time to plan lessons according to our recently adopted Common Core State Standards, and
quickly began to deconstruct standards and develop concepts. Mr. Rodriguez also applies educational
knowledge and theories about teaching that are diverse. Within our second grade classroom, he continues to
demonstrate growth in differentiated instruction, small group lessons, and one on one instruction. He continues
to build on explicit direct instruction in order to develop concepts for all types of learners. Most importantly, he
is beginning to understand that students have diverse interest and therefore need diverse instructional models to
achieve goals.
On several occasions, Mr. Rodriguez designed lessons that were both in Spanish and English. His curriculum
planning was aligned to second grade common core standards in Language Arts, Math and other content areas.
Throughout several teaching cycles, Mr. Rodriguez became aware of the importance of pre-assessments,
checking for understanding, and post assessments. Through the use of exit tickets he was able to analyze needs,
modify lessons, and make professional decisions about next steps in his instruction.
He is also able to engage students by using multiple intelligence strategies, research based strategies, and
positive behavior management. The use of think-pair-share, whiteboards, and cooperative groupings was
evident throughout his lessons. Class Dojo points and the use of cards were implemented positively to guide
engagement and accountability.
Mr. Rodriguez would be a valuable asset to any school. His persistent desire to grow as an educator will keep
him striving to provide quality instruction for all students. I am sure he will continue to uphold the professional
qualities you are searching for in a strong multiple subject teaching candidates. If you have any further
questions please feel free to contact me at Ralph A. Gates Elementary.
Sincerely,

Geraldine Jacome
Second Grade, Two Way Immersion Teacher & BTSA Support Provider
Ralph A. Gates Elementary School
(949) 837-2260