826 Valencia is excited to present the November Teacher of the Month, Ms. Rose Ludwig! Ms. Ludwig is an English and Language Arts teacher at Visitacion Valley Middle School.
She is well-known among students at her school for the academic and personal support she gives them on a daily basis. Most importantly, Ms. Ludwig inspires all of her students to do their best, and makes teaching fun for everyone in the classroom—students and teacher alike!
Described by one teacher as “strict, yet compassionate,” Ms. Ludwig pushes her students to become better writers, readers, and thinkers. As one student notes, Ms. Ludwig is a master at “motivating, inspiring, and connecting with her students.” She holds her students to high, rigorous expectations while simultaneously providing the guidance for them to reach these lofty goals. One of her students praised her ability to push her students, saying, “I know I wasn’t one of your straight A students, but I tried my best.”
We also received a flood of student letters emphasizing how approachable, warm, and supportive Ms. Ludwig is toward her students. Students are unafraid to talk to her about difficult things, since, as one young man stated, “we can bounce ideas off her without her judging.” She is a source of personal and academic advice, and remains invested in the personal wellbeing and growth of her students. One student summed it up perfectly: “she cares.” Thank you, Ms. Ludwig, for not only being a rock star teacher, but also a fabulous mentor and advisor.
In addition to being a skilled and compassionate educator, Ms. Ludwig is an excellent colleague. The librarian stressed how open Ms. Ludwig is to new ideas, and pointed to a book review project she executed with her. During this project, Ms. Ludwig’s students wrote book reviews and used these reviews to debate themes of freedom and censorship, as well as create an additional project on historical photos. So cool! Finally, Ms. Ludwig actively contributes to her school community by leading several committees and organizing weekly potlucks to build community among the teachers.
Ms. Ludwig, thank you for your dedicated service to the Visitacion Valley community. In the words of one of your former students, we hope that you will “keep enlightening the youth while helping them mature, one day at a time.”
Read about our Teacher of the Month program.