During Mrs. Roehl’s second hour Pre-AP English 10 class students may be reciting Shakespeare one day and debating race the next. The walls are covered with student work, ranging from taxonomies to graphic novels.
Mrs. Roehl won the 2012 Minnesota teacher of the Year award last April. It’s an award given to a teacher who demonstrates great progress in the classroom. Not only does Mrs. Roehl have the responsibility to teach in her classroom at Edina High School but she also has to speak at conferences and other schools.
How did this English teacher win the award? “I worked to recognize different cultures and engage everyone in the classroom,” she said.
This is evident in her class. She tries to get everyone to participate and quiets distractions, making an ideal learning environment. So what is she up to as Teacher of the Year 2012 for Minnesota?
“I go around speaking at many public schools. I just spoke in Winona at St. Mary’s College,” she said. She included, “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people.”
How does she handle this commitment? Is she sick of all of it? “I do wish I had a little bit more free time for gardening and jigsaw puzzles”, she admitted.
As if she wasn’t occupied enough, Ms. Roehl published a chapter in Glenn Singleton’s book, “More Courageous Conversations About Race.” In her chapter, she discusses racial equity in Minnesota and mentions Edina.
While many were relaxing during MEA break, Ms. Roehl was speaking at the Teacher’s Conference. Her message is the same thing at the class she teaches through Hamline University in the evenings. “I talk about culture responsive teaching strategies.”
What are her teaching strategies? “I try to get my students to work in groups and do taxonomies, make posters, and other activities instead of just talking at them.”
What are her plans for the future? “I’m going to be doing four weeks of traveling with the other Teachers of the Year for different states.” Arizona and Washington, D.C. are two of them. She even gets to meet the president of the United States. And what happens if she wins National Teacher of the Year 2012? “I can’t teach here anymore [for the year she is the national winner]. It’s a full-time job.” If she doesn’t win, rest assured, she’ll still be at Edina High School helping the progress of knowledge.
