Teachable Moments: West Jacksonville Elementary reading coach hones in skills - and fun
At West Jacksonville Elementary School, community is key. Most of the students live within a few blocks of the school and walk with their parents to class every morning.
Push open the doors and the blue halls are awash with the sound of students saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
In no person is this more evident than reading coach Robyn White.
White describes education as a team effort between two families, one at school and one at home, and says that teachers and faculty are representatives of the area they serve.
?We are all in this together,? White said.
For White, time spent outside the classroom is essential to build a bond between teacher and community. She hosts writing sleepovers on campus where students come to a lock-in to hone literacy skills in a fun environment.
?Interaction with my kids every day inspires me,? White said. ?That moment when one kid finally says, ?I get it!? I want them to be successful as a person. ? It?s so important to just speak that voice of encouragement to them.?
Morning finds her cross-legged on a colorful rug surrounded by students. She reads to them aloud in an animated voice, blue eyes shining. She stops periodically to ask the kids, ?What do you think about that??
Students and teachers alike see her as an ally and a mentor.
?She is very approachable and easy to talk to,? said Tanya Benti, a fourth-grade reading and writing teacher. ?It?s only my second year teaching so if I question myself or doubt what I?m doing, I can always go to her for reassurance. She redirects me in a way that is kind, not condescending.?
That ability to listen also helps her build trust with students.
?The most important thing is for the students to know that I?m on their side, that I care about them being successful,? White said. ?Sometimes a child will tell their teacher, ?I just need to talk to Ms. White,? and it?s because they know that they?ll be heard.?
Principal Robert Gresham said White was destined to be at West Jacksonville Elementary. He describes her as someone whom others gravitate toward, with a unique ability to work with teachers and students. He recruited her two years ago when he first came on board as principal and said White gave up a comfortable position at Chimney Lakes Elementary to take on new challenges.
?She had other opportunities but chose to be at West Jacksonville to do the work,? Gresham said. ?When teachers come in and really do the work I call it ?washing your hands.? ?
The relationship between faculty and students at West Jacksonville Elementary feels more like a family bond. High priority is placed on the school?s role in the surrounding neighborhood, which has few resources.
?We are a unique school, a community school,? said Wildalynn Harris, a fifth-grade reading and writing teacher. ?Our students sometimes need extra support. [White] goes that extra mile.?
Teachable Moments, a project of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, highlights the region?s most innovative and effective teachers. Stories that appear each Sunday in the Times-Union are written by journalism students at the University of North Florida. For more, visit Jacksonville.com/teachablemoments and www.jaxpef.org.
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