‘My Kids Are in Survival Mode’: A Chat with 2019’s Teacher of the Year
April 30, 2019
By: Jessica Yarmosky
Source: NPR
Rodney Robinson is this year’s National Teacher of the Year, and this week he was honored at a White House ceremony. Robinson has been teaching for 19 years, most recently at a juvenile detention center in Richmond, Va.
He says he strives to make his teaching culturally relevant to his students: “You have to use what your kids know and what your kids experience,” he says, ” to create a positive learning environment for them.” Robinson spoke with NPR’s David Greene, and the following was adapted from their conversation. It has been edited for clarity.