Robyn White - 2013 EDDY Finalist
3/14/2013
School
West Jacksonville Elementary
Education
M.S., Florida State University; Education
B.S., Florida State University; Child Development
Highlights
- MINT Mentor Teacher to novice teachers
- Assessment Writing Team Leader
- Reading Assessment Professional Development - provide professional development to UNF students
When asked about her choice to become a teacher, Ms. White describes her career path not as her choice, but one that actually chose her. Reaching back to her experiences in school, she knew she wanted to model her practice after those teachers who instilled in her the confidence and desire to achieve.
Ms. White molds and refines her practice through the lessons she learns from the children she teaches. As she recognized that each student has a different learning style and brings unique life experiences into the classroom, Ms. White adapted her lessons to reach all of her children in unique and effective ways. If they talked about football on Monday, then Tuesday they learned how to decode words from a newspaper article about Maurice Jones Drew. If a student mentioned a favorite restaurant, they learned about text features from that menu. Through her efforts, Ms. White gained her students' respect and trust and significant learning took place.
Through her connection to her students, Ms. White has been able to gain the trust of their parents and guardians. She attends monthly parent nights and frequents community events in the apartment complex where many of her students live. Developing relationships outside school walls has allowed Ms. White to engage her students' caregivers in their education, encouraging hard work and success from their homes.
Ms. White has also worked to improve her profession and inform the work of her colleagues by integrating the teaching of reading and writing into a Literacy Block. Teachers who have adopted her curriculum have seen their students master the skills they need to meet Common Core Standards.
"The sky is the limit for Ms. White; she will undoubtedly continue to be an amazing leader in the field of education."
R.E. Gresham
Principal
West Jacksonville Elementary