LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Lizbeth Rodriguez was nominated anonymously.

Growing up, Ms. Rodriguez sat in classrooms and quietly observed how teachers favored students who fit their idea of "good", students who were rarely Hispanic or Black. This painful realization stayed with her. She often wondered why some teachers taught with such clear bias and preconceived notions. It wasn't until college that she fully understood the depth of that harm; she had been failed academically, mentally, and socially.

That experience now fuels her mission as an educator. Her classroom and school are spaces of safety, inclusion, and belonging. From day one, she makes sure students feel heard. Together, they co-create classroom norms that foster community and agency. In her words, "this is not about 'me,' but about 'we.'"

Working at a Title I school, she's learned that her role goes far beyond academics. Many of her students carry trauma, and she knows that learning cannot happen unless their basic emotional and physical needs are met. That's why she embeds Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into her daily practice. SEL isn't just a strategy, but a lifeline. It builds a culture of empathy, support, and trust. In her classroom, students lift each other, not just to succeed academically, but to grow as individuals who value collaboration and kindness.

To truly understand and support her students, she conducts home visits. These visits have been transformative. In just 30 minutes, she's learned more about a student's life, interests, and strengths than she could in a whole semester. These connections deepen her ability to teach with compassion and relevance.

Representation is essential in her classroom. She works in a beautifully diverse school with a high population of Hispanic and Black students. Her classroom library is filled with books that reflect her students' identities, cultures, and experiences. Lessons are intentionally crafted to celebrate their voices, like their unit on immigration, where they explored the reasons people migrate and shared resources to keep students safe in a world that sometimes judges them by the color of their skin.

She also believes the small details matter. As a child, she only had one crayon to choose from when drawing herself: peach. That subtle message, that whiteness was the norm, was loud and clear. Today, her students have access to crayons in every skin tone, from deep browns to golden tans and vanilla latte shades. This simple gesture reinforces the message that they matter, that they are seen, and that their stories belong in every part of their learning.

Teaching is not just about reading and multiplication. It's about building children who recognize their value and power. She hopes that every student who walks into her classroom leaves knowing they are capable, important, and destined to make a difference. 

She's found that students thrive when they are immersed in hands-on, meaningful learning experiences that reflect real-life scenarios. For example, during her multiplication and division unit, she transforms her classroom into a pretend store called Kid-Mart. Stocked with flowers, fruits, vegetables, and pastries, students use the shop to create their word problems, which they then solve. This activity not only reinforces core math concepts but also gives students ownership of their learning. It feels like play, but it's powerful, standards-based learning in disguise. 

One idea she's excited about is building a movie theater-themed lesson to teach the challenging concept of elapsed time. Many of her third graders struggled with this skill last year. By recreating a movie theater, complete with themed decorations, a backdrop, and manipulatives, students can apply time skills in a context that feels familiar and fun.

Her proudest career accomplishments include earning her bilingual endorsement and completing her Master's degree in Educational Policy and Leadership this year. Additionally, she is especially proud of the academic growth her students achieved. This year, her students had an 84% increase in reading proficiency, the highest growth she's experienced in her teaching career.