Where do you teach? Chenoweth Elementary (Jefferson County)
What subject(s) and/or grade(s) do you teach? 4th and 5th Grade ECE Resource
How long have you been teaching? This is my 7th year.
Why did you become a teacher? I became a teacher because my mom is a teacher, and I grew up in her special education classroom. I saw the need for inclusion in education. I also love that every day brings different challenges and successes.
What has been the best part of teaching that you didn’t expect when entering the profession? The best part of teaching that I didn’t expect when entering the profession is the camaraderie between my colleagues. We are all very different individuals with different backgrounds and in different stages of our lives. However, working together toward a common goal of advancing student achievement and loving our students unites us as a staff.
What is one thing you wish non-teachers knew about what you do? I wish non-teachers realized how non-stop our day is while we’re at school. I ofter refer to it in terms of business meetings? “You remember that day when you had three meetings pretty much back to back, and you felt like you were scrambling in between to get ready for the next one, and you also didn’t get anything else done that day, but meet with people?” Yea, I have 10, 30-minute ‘meetings’ a day, with very little time to transition between them. And it’s every day.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as a teacher? It took me several years as a teach to find my voice and learn to advocate for myself. Now that I have learned to do that, I advocate for other teachers and students, and to teach them to advocate for themselves.
What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t teaching? I love to travel!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? My favorite places to travel are Washington D.C., Honolulu, Key West, and the California Coast. My bucket list trip is Australia!
What are your social media handles? Facebook – robynkballinger, Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/in/robynkballinger