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Carlos Rodriguez has won the respect of other art teachers, but it's the opinions of the students who file into his classroom at three upcounty schools that matter most to him.

The Maryland Art Education Association named him the county's New Elementary School Art Teacher of the Year. The association also honored six other art teachers in Montgomery County Public Schools.

The award reminded Rodriguez about what he values most in his job. He works at Spark M. Matsunaga and Great Seneca Creek elementary schools in Germantown and Goshen Elementary School.

"There are a lot of things that make a good art teacher. No. 1 is you have to be in it for the kids," Rodriguez, 26, said during an interview at Matsunaga.

The front wall of his classroom bears paper cutouts in the shape of hands accompanied by a message signed by students: "We have to hand it to you. You are a fabulous art teacher. Congratulations on your award."

Matsunaga Principal Judy Brubaker said the award confirmed her thoughts about Rodriguez.

"He has a beautiful rapport with the children. They just adore him," she said.

Rodriguez said Linda Adams, the district's supervisor of the division of fine arts, and Lisa Stuart, an instruction specialist in the division, nominated him for the award.

Rodriguez, who is in this third year of teaching, is fortunate to enjoy his students as much as he does because there are so many of them – 676 in 26 classes spread among the three schools. He also teaches an after-school pottery class at Matsunaga.

He praised the staff and principals at the schools, but said the traveling cuts into his time for lesson planning. He would like to work at one school someday, he said.

Rodriguez spent most of his childhood in Germantown. He said he wasn't very interested in art in grade school, but he gained a new perspective at Seneca Valley High School.

"Most art teachers get into it because they have a great teacher," Rodriguez said.

In his case, Kerri Blankenship, a former teacher at Seneca Valley, helped him realize he had a flair for pottery and teaching others the craft. Some art teachers were among those he helped with their pottery, Rodriguez said.

"I just grew a knack for it," he said of teaching. "I found a way to make it simpler for others."

He teaches kindergarten first- and second-graders at Matsunaga. The 25 students in one class last week listened intently as he talked about primary and secondary colors. Each student assembled a paper color wheel made up of triangles of various colors arranged in a precise order.

"I like it so much because we do nice art," said Yashwanth Byreddy, 5.

Rodriguez said steering students away from worrying about grades is a major part of his teaching strategy. He tells them they are in his class to become better artists. Once they focus on making art instead of grades, their natural creativity blossoms, he said.

"Art is something kids really look forward to," Rodriguez said. "Even the ones that resist, it's only for a little bit because they're bound to find something they like to do."

The other county teachers honored by the Maryland Art Education Association are: Dana Pelzman, New Middle School Art Teacher of the Year, Eastern Middle School; Charles Foster, New High School Art Teacher of the Year, Springbrook High School; Cheryl Thomas, Master Elementary School Art Teacher, Poolesville Elementary School and Little Bennett Elementary School; Jennifer Espinoza, Master Middle School Art Teacher, Benjamin Banneker Middle School; Kim Freedman, retired, Thomas S. Wootton High School; and Ruth Fishman, retired, Richard Montgomery High School.