This year seniors are not the only ones getting a farewell, as beloved English teacher Ms. Roberts is cashing in her well-earned retirement! Ms. Roberts teaches 5 AP Literature and Composition classes and has been teaching at Timberline for 21 years in room 103. She has the title of English Department Chair and before that, she had been teaching for 15 years. Outside of teaching, she is an active runner and, believe it or not, a great singer! Ms. Roberts has a special talent for using those interests to further her teaching in the classroom. She can use running as a way to teach students to stick with something, and she is able to keep a classroom vibrant and attentive by sometimes performing songs with piano (because of course she can do that too).
If you aren’t familiar with Ms. Roberts you may know of her iconic classroom walls. She has become notorious for letting her students write colorful notes (and even some full-on paintings) to herself or future students of hers. One note even includes an answer to a test! The notes are filled with witty comments, compliments, and cartoons. It offers her incoming students a chance to get to know her just based on the impact she’s had on former students. You can see all of the people who loved her class and the way she taught. The incoming notes from present students will have to search high and low to find a big enough space to write on it themselves. Yet sadly with Ms. Roberts’ departure the walls will be painted over, but she plans to take a panoramic photo of the walls to keep with her.
Ms. Roberts’ wall is full of student names and notes.
Another thing Ms. Roberts has become known for is starting her year by telling her students “I’m on your side.” She got the opportunity to expand more on what she meant by that statement while giving her very own Ted Talk. She shares how she wants to help students in any way she can. Many of her students even showed up to support her at her Ted Talk, which further supports the connections her students feel with her.
So now that we have established that she is an amazing teacher and her absence will be missed, what will we find Ms. Roberts doing in the next stage of her life? She plans to do what many other seniors are preparing themselves for… college! Ms. Roberts plans to go to Friends University in Wichita, Kansas to get a masters in Christian Spiritual Leadership. In this exciting time in her life I think we should all tell Ms. Roberts, we’re on your side. Thank you Ms. Roberts for being an amazing teacher, leader, and constantly setting a good example of what the Wolfpack should be like.
