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Mark Rudd, Excellence in Beginning Teaching
Philosophy of Teaching
My decision to teach special education stems from experiences with my older sister. Andrea was born with Down syndrome and is now forty-two years old. When she was younger, no one thought she would ever read or write; many of her teachers did not want her in their classes and therefore spent little time teaching her. Thankfully, times have changed. She continues to amaze everyone to this day and loves to learn. You can see it in her smile. My philosophy of teaching is that every child can learn if given the chance and that every child has a right to all opportunities offered by public education.
In my classroom, I want my students to receive every opportunity they deserve. I want to be a part of this step in their lives, helping them become responsible students. My goal each day is to provide a learning environment where my students will become lifelong learners in real life situations through skills that I have taught.
Each night, I am so excited about what I am going to teach the next day that I struggle to fall asleep. I reflect on what I have learned and how each student will react to what we are learning. I look forward to each day and to seeing my students’ eagerness to learn. Their enthusiasm motivates me to be the best teacher I can possibly be. I want my students to remember me as a teacher who gave each of them the same opportunity that every student in our school received.
I do not know why I was chosen to be a teacher, but I am very thankful that I was. My only regret is that it took me so long to get here. Most first-year teachers are about half my age, and most teachers know early in their lives what they want to do. I have been searching to find out where I belonged for many years. Maybe this is why my sister was put on this earth, to train me for this task. I hope I can continue making her proud.
Educational / Professional Background
University Degrees
- Special Education Certification - Act-Houston at Dallas
Special Education EC — 12 TExES Content Exam #161 February 24, 2007.
Generalist 4 — 8 TExES Content Exam #111 December 9, 2007.
- BS/Business Management — June 2004 - University of Phoenix, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Graduated with Honors 3.95 CPA
- Business Administration-1985-89 Tarrant County College, Hurst Texas
Professional Work Experience
- 8/07- current Plano ISD
Special Education Teacher - Vines High School Experienced Learning Class (ELC).
Beginning Teacher of the Year (2007-2008). Volunteer 9th grade baseball coach.
- 1/07-5/07 PIano ISD
Substitute Teacher - Long term substitute teacher at Vines High School in the Special Education Department
- 7/06 — 11/06 - Canteen Vending Dallas, Texas
Customer Service Manager- supervised thirteen route drivers and oversaw all issues associated with daily route deliveries. Managed $6.7 million in average yearly sales.
- 11/04-5/06 - Leroy Hilt Coffee Birmingham, Alabama
Branch Manager-worked to build route by establishing new customers and providing quality customer service to existing customers.
- 1986-2002 Cowboy Vending Haltom City, Texas
Vice President of Sales-developed process changes for improved efficiency of routes. Hired, trained, and supervised team to provide customer service. Oversaw all aspects of daily routes.
School
Principal Recommendation
Please accept this letter as a most positive recommendation for Mark Rudd as the Plano ISD’s Beginning Teacher of the Year. Mark is a special education teacher at Vines High School. Mark began working as a substitute teacher at Vines at the beginning of the spring semester of the ‘06-’07 school year, and he hasn’t stopped smiling since he walked in the door on day one. If he has, no one at Vines knows about it because he ALWAYS has a smile on his face, and more importantly, so do his students.
It only took a short time to realize that Mark was not only passionate about teaching, but he also had a natural connection with our special education students. It was not until many months later that I learned that Mark’s “natural connection” was a result of growing up with a sister who has Down syndrome. His passion for teaching special needs students was a result of many years of listening to others express the belief that his sister couldn’t and wouldn’t ever learn.
It is evident from the very first time one enters Mark’s classroom that his students are excited about learning from the expression on their faces and their attentiveness to the particular activity they are engaged in at the moment. Mark clearly believes his students can learn, and so do they. Mark’s belief that all students can learn is contagious, and his passion and personality are magnetic. Students, teachers, and parents alike are drawn to Mark because he treats everyone he meets with dignity and respect.
Mark’s students include our most cognitively impaired students at Vines. He teachers both 9th and 10th grade students, yet their instructional level is from kindergarten to third grade. His daily preparation includes planning for five different classes, which include Language Arts, Reading, Math, Social Studies, and Daily Living. Undoubtedly, this would be a challenging schedule for any teacher, especially a beginning teacher, but Mark has not only accepted the challenge, but welcomes it.
In addition to planning for his core classes, Mark volunteered early in the year to combine his daily living class with another teacher’s class, so she could have a conference period. The students who joined his students for their daily living class are students from our Active Learning Class, and these students are not only cognitively impaired, but they are also physically impaired.
Mark has created an environment in this class where his students partner with the ALC students to engage in a variety of daily living skills that they can use outside of the classroom. Baking cookies, washing dishes, folding clothes, and teeth brushing are just a few of the activities Mark’s students worked on during first semester. Teachers frequently pop into Mark’s room for a “spirit lift” from Mark and his students. It is ironic, yet heart-warming, that some of our most experienced teachers and cognitively gifted students turn to Mark and his students for inspiration and encouragement.
In addition to teaching five different classes, Mark is a case manager where he monitors and guides an additional twenty special education students in their academic progress. In an effort to support the students in his classes and in his caseload, he collaborates with the students’ parents and other Vines’ teachers. He is an integral part of many Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) meetings.
In addition to the regular school day, Mark has volunteered to help coach our freshman baseball team this spring. The players will soon learn how fortunate they are to have Coach Rudd joining their team.
Mark has earned the respect of all by exhibiting a willingness to listen and learn, a passion to guide and mentor, and compassion beyond description.
I have observed many outstanding teachers throughout my eighteen years in education, and I can honestly say that Mark Rudd is one of the most compassionate, genuine teachers I have ever known. He is a vital member of the Vines High School team, and I know he is very deserving of the district’s beginning teacher of the year award.
Sincerely,
Sarah Watkins, Principal
Janis Williams, Assistant Principal
Vines High School
E-mail congrats to Mark Rudd
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