Rufino Mendoza Elementary School
Resident Teachers
Maximus Wueste
Maximus Wueste joins Rufino Mendoza Elementary as a Resident Teacher with a passion for creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students. With experience working with students from Kindergarten through 5th grade, Maximus is excited to continue growing his instructional practice while supporting learners across grade levels.
Maximus believes that strong teaching begins with building relationships and fostering a classroom environment rooted in respect, communication, and collaboration. He strives to make learning both fun and interesting, ensuring students are actively engaged and able to connect new concepts to their prior knowledge. Through strategies such as student discussion, guided questioning, and collaborative group work, he encourages students to think critically and express their understanding in their own words.
As an educator, Maximus is committed to continuous growth and improvement. He values feedback as an important tool for refining his skills and approaches each day with a mindset focused on learning and iteration. He is eager to strengthen his teaching practice as he prepares for a future as a full-time teacher and looks forward to gaining clarity and guidance to meet campus expectations.
Maximus is dedicated to helping students enjoy their time in the classroom while making meaningful academic progress. His goal is for every student to leave his classroom feeling successful, confident, and excited about learning.
Outside of the classroom, Maximus enjoys working on creative writing and personal passion projects.
Yitian (Elise) Cai, Resident Teacher
Yitian “Elise” Cai joins Rufino Mendoza Elementary as a Resident Teacher with a passion for fostering a supportive, engaging, and student-centered learning environment. With three years of experience working in early childhood and elementary education settings, Elise brings a thoughtful and growth-focused approach to her work with students across Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Elise is committed to creating a welcoming classroom where all students feel respected, supported, and excited to learn. She believes that strong instruction is purposeful, data-informed, and centered on active student engagement. Her lessons are designed to be interactive and accessible, with careful scaffolding to ensure all learners—especially those who need additional support—can successfully access the content.
In her instructional practice, Elise uses strategies such as cold calling, structured wait time, and collaborative discussion to check for understanding and promote accountability among all students. She closely monitors student progress through data and reteaches concepts as needed, often utilizing small group instruction and alternative approaches to bridge learning gaps.
Elise values collaboration and frequent communication within her team, and she finds fulfillment in contributing ideas that support both colleagues and students. She actively seeks feedback from campus leadership and peers, viewing it as an essential tool for reflection and continuous professional growth.
As she continues to develop her teaching practice, Elise is focused on strengthening her instructional strategies and deepening her use of data to meet the diverse needs of her students. Her goal is for every student to experience her classroom as a positive, supportive space where they can grow academically and personally.
Outside of the classroom, Elise enjoys going to the gym, reading, and cooking.
Makayla Rodriguez
Makayla Rodriguez joins Rufino Mendoza Elementary as a Resident Teacher with three years of experience in both Pre-K 4 and 3rd grade. She is passionate about creating a positive, engaging classroom environment where students feel supported, respected, and motivated to learn.
Makayla’s greatest strength as an educator is building strong relationships with her students while keeping them actively engaged in learning. She believes that when students feel valued and connected, they are more willing to take risks and grow academically. Her approach to instruction is rooted in clarity and structure, ensuring lessons are delivered in a step-by-step, student-friendly way so all learners can succeed.
Makayla emphasizes student-centered, standards-aligned instruction that is driven by data and supported through ongoing feedback. She uses data to identify student misconceptions and provides targeted support through small groups, visual models, and scaffolded instruction to meet the needs of every learner.
Collaboration is important to Makayla, and she values environments where communication is respectful and all voices are heard. She strives to be approachable, supportive, and professional, contributing to a team culture where everyone feels valued.
As she continues her journey in education, Makayla is focused on refining her instructional clarity and completing her teaching certification through the iTeach program while also pursuing her master’s degree. She is committed to continuous growth and sees feedback as an essential tool to strengthen her practice.
Makayla’s goal is to create a classroom where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and where every student feels confident, capable, and excited to grow.
Outside of the classroom, Makayla enjoys spending time outdoors and relaxing with a spa day.
Johanna Batres
Johanna Batres brings a strong commitment to student achievement and a positive, team-oriented mindset to Rufino Mendoza Elementary. With experience teaching 3rd grade (all subjects), 4th grade math, and serving as a substitute at the high school level, Johanna has developed a versatile instructional skillset and a deep understanding of meeting diverse student needs.
Johanna’s greatest strength lies in building positive relationships with students and fostering confidence in their abilities. She creates a classroom environment where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to take academic risks. Her goal is to cultivate a strong sense of community where every student feels heard, respected, and capable of success.
Her instructional approach is structured, purposeful, and student-centered. Johanna designs lessons that begin with focused warm-ups, followed by clear modeling, guided practice, and independent work, all while incorporating small-group instruction to meet individual needs. She consistently checks for understanding by having students explain their thinking, allowing her to identify misconceptions and provide immediate, targeted support.
Johanna is deeply committed to data-driven instruction and is actively working to strengthen her systems for tracking student progress, particularly through organizing small-group data more effectively. She values constructive feedback and collaboration, viewing both as essential tools for continuous growth and alignment to high instructional standards.
As a new educator to the district, Johanna is eager to learn more about her students’ language development needs and ensure her instruction is targeted and impactful. She thrives in team environments that emphasize mutual respect, accountability, and a shared commitment to student success.
Johanna’s professional goals include achieving strong instructional outcomes and leading her students to demonstrate significant academic growth. Above all, she strives to create a classroom where mistakes are embraced as part of the learning process and where students leave with confidence in both their skills and their voice.
Outside of school, Johanna values time to recharge and maintain balance.