By RAUL GARCIA JR | The Mercedes Enterprise

Francisco Rodriguez began receiving messages from his algebra students congratulating him for being named the Mercedes Early College Academy Teacher of the Year.

Last week, the school announced on Twitter he was this school year’s  Teacher of the Year.

“It feels good that they come back and say they are not surprised that I won the Teacher of the Year award,” Rodriguez said. “Things like that gives you the strength to keep doing it.”

Rodriguez credits his Harvard University training through the Texas Graduate Center for helping him become a better math teacher in the classroom.

He said a lot of his students come into class with the idea they are not good at math and they will never be good at math, and he gets them to break through that wall with his teaching.

“Seeing that ‘ah ha’ moment is awesome,” Rodriguez said. “It happens every day and you kind of take it for granted when they realize, oh this is not that hard.” 

Rodriguez is working on his Master’s Degree for Math for Teachers and he meets weekly at the Texas Graduate Center with other Valley teachers also in the cohort. 

The Texas Graduate Center is an educational hub that provides support services to teachers enrolled in online/blended programs at world-class universities offering master’s degrees in mathematics, biology and cybersecurity. 

The Texas Graduate Center is  a component of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation, an education nonprofit based in Mercedes established to support programs in higher education to guide new and emerging leaders in education in communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s been awesome,” Rodriguez said. “The Texas Graduate Center is one of the Valley’s best kept secrets.”