Longfellow’s Ruvalcaba among the Lone Star State’s top ‘T.E.A.C.H.’ers

Longfellow’s Ruvalcaba among the Lone Star State’s top ‘T.E.A.C.H.’ers

An educator who represents excellence and enthusiasm in all he does will be honored next week by the Texas ASCD, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Roland Ruvalcaba of Longfellow MS is among three teachers – and the only from San Antonio – to receive the association’s T.E.A.C.H (Texas Educators Achieving Classroom Honors) award. He and his principal, Liz Solis, will be recognized during Texas ASCD’s Oct. 25-27 annual conference in Frisco.

“He is an excellent teacher. When you walk into his classroom, you can feel the excitement and passion for teaching,” Solis said of the four-year veteran educator who makes 8th grade science and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) classes relevant and fun.

Ruvalcaba (pictured showing his students the parts of an atom) was nominated by his school’s administrative assistant and Campus Instructional Coordinator Caroline Elizondo.

“Roland Ruvalcaba exemplifies the qualities of the passionate professional you seek to recognize,” she wrote in her nomination letter.

“His commitment and dedication to his students and his profession are commendable.”

When not in the classroom or coaching football, soccer, and track at Longfellow, he can be found taking his students to visit college campuses, expanding their horizons on field trips such as to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, arranging for guest speakers to inspire them or coordinating their community
service projects. These include walks to benefit the March of Dimes and volunteering at the annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner.

“The relationships he forms with his students and the drive he instills in them toward excellence are what make him successful,” Elizondo wrote. “His actions and instructional decisions are always based on doing what is best for kids. I wish every student on our campus could have the benefit of being taught
by Mr. Ruvalcaba.”

Each year Texas ASCD presents the T.E.A.C.H. award to outstanding educators like Ruvalcaba to honor their pioneering efforts that greatly impact student learning.

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