English Coordinator

Ruben joined LTF full-time after serving in a contract capacity for over three years. He recalls, “When I was asked to become an LTF consultant, I jumped on the opportunity because I was able to actually see that the LTF lessons brought about positive change in the teachers I trained, and more importantly, in how effective the lessons were in the classroom.  Teachers are quick to embrace ideas, concepts, and lessons that they know effectively meet their needs and those of their students, and the LTF lessons are able to actually do this.”

When asked about an accomplishment he is particularly proud of, Ruben notes that his involvement with LTF has allowed him to truly “make a difference in the teaching and learning styles of new, and especially veteran, teachers.” He finds it extremely rewarding to see teachers energized after an LTF training. Ruben’s work at LTF reflects his personal philosophy of education in that he is a strong proponent of “lifelong learning,” and the opportunities to collaborate and share teaching experiences with other teachers. He describes himself as a learner, and maintains that he has learned some of the very best lessons in his career from teachers who have participated in his trainings. As he looks to the future of LTF, he hopes that these learning opportunities can be made available to an even wider and more diverse teacher and student base.

Ruben holds a BA and MA with a concentration in American Literature. He brings 25 years of classroom experience to LTF, 11 years of which were spent teaching composition, rhetoric, and literature courses at the university level, with the remaining 14 years spent in public education.  Ruben has deep experience with Advanced Placement, having taught both AP language and literature courses, and he has also been a reader and table leader at the National AP Language Reading the past eight years.

In addition, Ruben has presented to AP teachers in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Massachusetts, and he has conducted student prep sessions, also in these states, as well as in Texas, Alabama, and Connecticut.  For the past two years he has presented at Eastern Connecticut State University’s and Project Opening Doors’ APSI in Willimantic, CT. Ruben also currently serves as State Director for Ready Writing with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) at the University of Texas at Austin, where he oversees over 10,000 UIL competitors/writers.