Rewards of Teaching Part 2

Velasquez brothers. (Photo provided by Velasquez Family)

Earlier in the week, I wrote a post about the Rewards of Teaching. I indicated it was rare that we get to see the fruits of our labor.  Here is one of those examples.

As I drove thru the morning fog wondering why I had registered the debate team for an exhibition tournament this weekend, my iPhone vibrated with the signal I had received an email.  When I came to the light (yes, I was trying to be a responsible driver) I stopped and read the email. A friend from St. Catherine's had emailed me to tell me she had read an article about me in the Dallas Morning News. I haven't bought a physical newspaper in years. Today, along with the fruit I purchased to snack healthily, I bought a copy of the paper.

Below is the brief note written by one of my students, Rolando Velasquez.  He has previously published an article entitled Making the Case for Debate.  It's been a good week for Rolando.  Monday, he learned he had been named National Hispanic Recognition Program winner.

I couldn't post a full link to the article because DMN has a new payment model they have implemented that has made most of their content only viewable to subscribers.

Don Gonzalez is the debate coach at our school. He is a star teacher who has inspired many kids to continue their debate careers after high school. I have had the privilege of being in his class for two years, and he has taught us great things — including leadership skills, economic skills and the ability to speak in front of people. While we learn debate in our class, we also learn life skills that will benefit us for years to come. Preparing for the real world is the benefit of his class, and every day I am there, I know I will learn a valuable skill.

- Rolando Velasquez, Junior, Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet --
Dallas Morning News, May 21, 2011, Seven Things that Work in Our Pubic Schools, 21A.