Jessica Rodriguez is a lifelong Ann Arbor resident and a “townie” from the Old West Side. Rodriguez attended Bach Elementary, then Mack (now Ann Arbor Open), Slauson Middle School, and Pioneer High School, where she also dual-enrolled at Washtenaw Community College during her junior and senior years. After high school, Rodriguez spent several years living in different parts of the country and working a variety of jobs, much to her family’s dismay. She was not ready for college right away and believes it is important for young people to understand that there are many valid paths and opportunities beyond the traditional route.
Rodriguez eventually settled in Seattle for five years, where she worked in retail and joined the Washington Reading Corps through AmeriCorps. During that time, she spent a school year supporting second-grade striving readers at Martin Luther King Elementary. At age 22, Rodriguez realized she wanted to become a teacher. She began taking classes at Seattle Central Community College before deciding to return to Michigan in 2005.
Back in Ann Arbor, Rodriguez earned her Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University while working at a private preschool and as a cocktail waitress. She was hired by Ann Arbor Public Schools in 2010 and began her teaching career at Eberwhite Elementary, where she taught AM/PM kindergarten with a total of 38 students—20 in the morning and 18 in the afternoon. She’s been at Wines since 2011.
Wines Principal David DeYoung describes Jessica Rodriguez as one of the most organized and systematic teachers he has worked with, noting that she creates systems in her classroom in which students learn the routines and expectations quickly so that “within just days… the room runs as if the kids have been together for years.”
This structure allows her to maximize instructional time while giving students a sense of calm, predictability, and clarity about how to reach their goals, he notes.
“Jessica is also a tireless advocate for her students’ well-being,” says DeYoung. “She holds students accountable for their behavior and work, and the students know that she will have their back at all times as they navigate the third grade. We use the term ‘exceptional’ often when describing AAPS teachers, and Jessica Rodriguez most certainly exemplifies what it means to be an exceptional educator.”
Rodriguez has been married to her husband, Scott, for 18 years. They live near Haisley Elementary and have one daughter, June, who is a sixth grader at Forsythe Middle School. In her free time, Rodriguez enjoys exploring Michigan—especially the Upper Peninsula—as well as practicing yoga, biking, reading, and gardening.
Why did you decide to teach third grade?
Third grade came to me in 2011, not the other way around. I was involuntarily transferred from Eberwhite to third grade at Wines two weeks before the school year started. At the time, to be honest, I was devastated. This was something that happened when you were low on the totem pole in the district in those days. But I refer to it now as the best change I didn’t know I wanted. I LOVE third grade, and I’ve been teaching it here at Wines ever since! It’s the perfect blend of kids who are rapidly growing in their independence and developing confidence in their skills, but they still want to do pajama days and bring their stuffies with them.
Describe an average workday.
There is no such thing as an average day when you teach elementary! I get to school early now that I drop off my daughter first at Forsythe. I never thought I’d like arriving early, but it really helps put me in the right mindset for the day. We have a daily student-led morning meeting, and we play a lot of games. We usually have literacy activities in the morning. We have amazing special area teachers at Wines, and we are lucky to have them full-time, which provides me with essential time to work on everything else. The district should absolutely keep them full-time at every building.
I try to eat lunch with teacher friends at least a few times a week. In the afternoon, we do math and usually science, social studies, health, or social-emotional learning. Unless I have meetings, my daughter walks over from Forsythe when her day ends, so I wrap things up quickly, and then we can head home.
What are your best tips for classroom management?
Don’t be afraid to review procedures or routines to reset, even in April, and don’t be afraid to try new things, especially as a seasoned teacher. Also, use movement and brain breaks! We all need them. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention relationships and bringing my full self to the classroom and how that fosters connections. Former students will not remember everything you taught them in math or science, but they will remember the story you told them about your prized childhood keepsake and the lesson you learned from being honest about breaking the neighbor’s window that time when you were 10.
Finally, be real with your students. Tell them when you are feeling sad or having a hard day, or frustrated about something. Tell them about having to say good-bye to your best dog friend. They need to know that the adults at school are whole humans and imperfect.
What do you like about working at Wines?
The team, the team, the team. We are wholeheartedly supported by our principal, David DeYoung. Not every school feels that way. Teacher friends are the best; they just get it! I am surrounded by dedicated, inclusive, intelligent educators, who I am proud to call my colleagues. I learn so much from special area teachers and OSE staff who have talents and expertise that I do not. Our school is very actively involved in the union, and we believe all educators are of great value to the community they serve.
What do you want most for your students?
For them to know sooner rather than later that the world is a much cooler place when everyone embraces their own authentic selves; being like everyone else is boring. I hope they grow to use their voices to push for positive change that impacts our planet and community in equitable ways. I want them to always have access to books that act as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for them. I also want them to continue to develop empathy and curiosity for people and places that are not like their family and not like Ann Arbor.
Favorite podcasts, websites, apps:
I listen to Up First on NPR every morning as I get ready for work. I play the NYT word games as often as I can. I love the podcasts We Can Do Hard Things, Thanks For Asking, and Good Hang w/ Amy Poehler. The podcast series Sold A Story was also really compelling as a teacher and parent.
Was there a teacher who had a particularly strong influence on your career? If so, what did you learn?
Fred Carr was the infamous Driver’s Education teacher at Pioneer, and he was also an English teacher. I had him for both. I did not love high school, and I wasn’t a very good student. It was incredibly crowded at the time. We had to “free-write” in a journal the first 10 minutes of every class, and I poured my heart out to him after realizing what an accepting and understanding person he was. I then discovered that he also knew my family well from teaching previous generations. What has stuck with me, though, is the feeling I had in his classroom. He had a little stage in the corner, and he would sit in a rocking chair on the stage, with all the lights off except for a lamp over his shoulder, and he would read to us. He got us to really listen and connect, and feel like we belonged there. I learned how powerful that feeling of belonging is, and how essential it is for learning.
How has the job changed since your first year?
The students have changed in the sense that technology has developed a much stronger influence on them than in 2010. They need more support navigating interactions with peers, communicating with others, and going through productive struggles to learn and grow. We have more students with social and behavioral needs that impact teaching and the learning of their peers.
The other change is the amount of time I spend grading, entering data, calculating data for assessments, preparing slides, and communicating via email. I am tethered to my laptop because all of it has increased.
I’m also doing my job with less building support overall. We have only part-time OT, Speech, Psychologist, & Social Work at Wines. We no longer have a behavior interventionist, and paraprofessionals are spread very thin now. Every role, especially student-facing staff positions, has MORE on their list of responsibilities. The job has changed immensely, and yet our pay has stagnated. When I was hired 16 years ago, there were over a thousand other applicants for one open position! AAPS has not increased teacher pay more than 2% in almost 20 years, and yet healthcare costs and inflation have skyrocketed. Valued, exceptional educators should not have to have second jobs, though many do in Ann Arbor.
Favorite meal at your favorite local restaurant?
The pizza at Pizza Pazza in Kerrytown is so, so good. We love supporting Detroit Street Filing Station and Hyperion Coffee.
Favorite local hangout:
Does a bookstore count? Literati.
How do you spend your summers?
Two years ago, my husband began outfitting his Transit work van to be a modular camper for us. We can drive anywhere and then be set up for the night in 10 minutes. We’ve done camping trips all over Michigan for years, but this opens up traveling farther and longer. We try to visit a few national parks each year. I love to play the AADL Summer Games and go to one of the local lakes or pools with my daughter, and we like to bike to festivals like A2SF (Top Of The Park to us townies). I usually try to take on a few DIY house projects with the help of my husband. I also do a lot of gardening, reading, and catching up with non-work friends. Yoga, paddleboarding, and a little pickleball round out the days. Decompressing from the busy school year, unplugging from the computer, and spending as much time in nature as possible are all essential.
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