Mr. Rhodes

Greetings to all, glad to see you online, and welcome home. 

My name is Dave Rhodes and I teach Mathematics in Santa Ana at Segerstrom since 2019.  I have been teaching mathematics in the middle and high school grades since 2005. My journey into the classroom was not a direct route, albeit a fortunate one.  I did not plan on teaching mathematics, I only wanted to help kids.

I graduated high school in Bedford, MA. in 1988, and attended my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Irvine, earning my degree in Social Sciences after discovering through several trials and tribulations that Civil Engineering was not for me.  After graduation, I worked in group homes and emergency youth shelters with Boys Town at sites in Long Beach and Trabuco Canyon until 2000.  This was a truly fulfilling experience working with youth in crisis, and helping them through it.

After Boys Town I went to work with a community-based non-profit called Community Service Programs in Irvine until 2001.  It was here I worked on prevention programs addressing drug and alcohol prevention, intervention and treatment.  Being this was a grant-based program, and employment is important, I went to work in 2001 for the County of Orange Health Care Agency, which oversaw and funded such community programs across Orange County.  It was during my stead with the County that I was introduced to the classroom.  During a presentation to a group of students at a local high school on a youth development project, one of the district members was present and stated that I appear to enjoy interacting with the students and could make a decent teacher if I ever decided to pursue this career path.  It was then, shortly following, that I applied to the credential program at CSUF, and earned my FLM credential in 2005, completing my intern and extern semesters at Lathrop Intermediate, where I taught until 2019.  I earned my Master's Degree from CSUF in Foundational Mathematics Concepts in 2015. 

Along the way I met my wife, Kristin, and married in 1997, and live in Irvine.  We enjoy camping, hiking, traveling, photography, gardening, and cycling.   My wife, who earned her Bachelor’s and Master's in Nursing at UCLA, enjoys crafting and scrapbooking.  During the summer, and other breaks during the year, I work to get out into the wild by backpacking in the Sierra Nevada for a week at time.  

Teaching for me is a chance to influence and positively affect the lives of others.  Teaching mathematics in high school is a very dynamic and fluid environment, however math is only the vehicle – I do it because I simply want to help students feel more confident and grow into their best selves.  Simply put, I just enjoy helping kids become their best.  I also believe that everyone can do mathematics, when they give their best, consistent effort.  While mathematics may be confusing and frustrating, it can be understood and mastered by everyone over time. 

The ability to make an impact on the life of another is a gift.  Being able to do this and affect many is an honor.  Making a career out of doing something of which I enjoy, is a fortunate mission.  There has not been a single day I have not looked forward to going to school.  I still chuckle to myself each time I take attendance that I am actually doing this thing we call teaching!

Thank you for trusting your student with me, and if you ever have any question or concerns please feel free to reach out – I will be there for you.

Best Effort – Stay Ready – Never Quit.