About Your Brave Brain Instructor

Hi! I’m Esther-Racquel — founder of Brave Brain, bilingual educator, and mom to a neurodivergent child who inspires just about everything I create (including the occasional middle-of-the-night idea that suddenly feels like a necessity).

For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked with new arrival English language learners, multilingual families, and students with disabilities, helping them build confidence in both academics and emotional regulation. Most of my teaching career has been in Bilingual Mathematics, Spanish, and ENL/ESL — supporting students who are learning English while adjusting to a new school system, a new culture, and sometimes a whole new country. (I’ve become very skilled at recognizing “I’m confused but pretending I’m fine” in any language.)

I also hold New York State certifications in Mathematics 7–12, Bilingual Education, ESOL, School Building Leader, and School District Leader. Before coming to New York, I built my foundation in Puerto Rico as a high school teacher, college advisor, and college professor — and yes, the Puerto Rico Department of Education still reminds me to renew my license… even 15 years later. Some ties never fade.

In New York, I continued that work as a principal, assistant principal, ENL teacher, math teacher, bilingual educator, and district attendance coordinator across a beautifully diverse public school community.

Here’s what nearly two decades of working with kids has taught me:
Kids don’t just need tutoring — they need understanding.
They need someone who sees their strengths, gets their challenges, and breaks learning into steps that feel do-able, not overwhelming.

That’s why Brave Brain tutoring is different. It blends:
✔ Homework help
✔ Task breakdown & organization
✔ Strategies to help with anxiety, big feelings, and overwhelm
✔ Tools to understand and practice focusing skills
✔ Quick SEL tools
✔ Clear bilingual explanations (English or Spanish)
✔ A calm, caring space where kids feel safe asking questions

Whether your child is…
new to the country

• learning English

• struggling with math concepts

• neurodivergent

• feeling anxious or stuck
  …they will be met with patience, humor, and a whole lot of heart.

Every Brave Brain session is about helping kids feel smart, supported, and brave enough to try again. 💛

Esther-Racquel Rodriguez, MA Ed.
Email: support@bravebrain.fun

Languages: English/Spanish
(Fluently)

Certifications:
Bilingual Math • ESL/ENL
School Building Leader
District Level Educator