After graduating from the University of Illinois in 2018, Kate Robinson decided to give teaching a try with Teach for America. After getting three school years under her belt in St. Paul, Minn., she returned to Champaign.
For the last four years, she’s taught science and AVID to sixth-graders at Edison Middle School, where she enjoys engaging her students’ curiosity during a pivotal year in their lives.
I find my work important because ... there has never been a better time to be curious. Students have access to endless information, and so it is really important to learn how to ask questions, find good sources, test different solutions and solve problems. Along with engaging students to be more critical thinkers, students just need people to listen and support them when they both thrive and make mistakes. I am always trying to make sure my classroom is a place where students feel safe to be themselves.
I became a teacher because ... I care about students and how they see themselves. Being a support system to middle-school students is so important because they are not just trying to figure out content, they are trying to figure out who they are and what kind of person they want to be.
My favorite or most unique lesson that I teach is ... the dissections I get to do with my sixth-grade students. Whether it is an owl pellet, worm or cow eye, my students are so engaged and love getting to be real scientists. During dissections, my students collaborate with their groups and get to show off their science skills and knowledge. My students really shine and get an experience that they do not forget.
My most fulfilling moments on the job are when ... I get to celebrate wins with my students. Getting to be a part of when students grasp a new concept, complete a challenging assignment or make a new friend is an honor. Being a sixth-grade teacher is great because I get to see how students grow and change and the people that they are becoming through eighth grade. It is always fun getting invited to concerts, plays and games by my students and getting to see how they thrive in other areas besides science class.
I keep students engaged by ... making science hands-on and practical for my students to learn. Science skills like inquiry, modeling, interpreting data, defending an answer with evidence and using lab equipment are not only useful in a classroom setting; these are all transferable skills to daily life. Getting students to not just hear and remember, but participate in science is important for their learning.
Something else I’m passionate about is ... reading. I am a huge supporter of reading for fun, and I read both fiction and nonfiction in my free time. Getting and giving book recommendations is one way to find out more about others and have something interesting to talk about. I usually agree that the book version of a story is better than the movie or TV version.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school were ... Mrs. Binder, who was my band teacher at both Gregory Middle School and Neuqua Valley High School. She is such a wonderful person and is dedicated to both her students and community. Band gave me opportunities to be a leader and work with others towards a common goal. Band was the class that showed me right away how my practice and care was paying off. I loved learning a completely new skill in playing the trumpet, but I also gained so much confidence in who I was.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be ... working with students in a different capacity or in some sort of job in the social-work realm. I have worked a variety of jobs, and what really makes jobs great is the people that you work with and the impact that you can make in a job. I have been really lucky to have supportive teammates and people that help me strive to be my best self as a teacher and person around me.
I’m spending my summer ... with friends and family, vacationing, reading, dancing, watching TV and movies, and winning trivia.
— ANTHONY ZILIS