Retired military mom finds love for teaching through school volunteerism

By WENDY SLEDD

Special to the Leader-Press 

As a child, Shonda Roberts always thought she wanted to become a veterinarian, a common career goal for youngsters as most all love animals. But Roberts also loved kids, maybe even more than animals. 

Not able to afford college straight out of high school, Roberts joined the military, retired more than two decades later, and used her G.I. Bill to enroll in college to work toward her childhood goal of becoming a veterinarian. In her spare time, she began volunteering at S. C. Lee Junior High School.

“I then started to fall in love with being around the kids so much and learning how much being a teacher can impact them that I decided to change my career field,” Roberts said. “So, I spoke to teachers and administrators to see how they felt about teaching and the more they told me the more interested I became.”

Roberts joined the CCISD staff with her associate degree already completed. She was a perfect candidate for the district’s Rising Instructors Soaring in Education program that creates a fast-track for staff members to apply for teaching internships after they have completed 60 hours of college credit. The district pays for the college courses so they are able to complete their bachelor’s degrees and earn teaching certifications.

Roberts is now an intern teacher for Principles of Human Services and Principles of Hospitality classes at S. C. Lee Junior High.

“When I first started teaching, I was so nervous. I wanted to make sure that my students got all the information they needed to be successful in school and in life,” Roberts said. “I wanted to make sure that I didn’t fail them.”

Roberts said her biggest challenge with being a classroom teacher is time management. 

“I am so happy that the (school) family I joined has my back and I know that if I have any questions that I can ask them,” Roberts said. “Now that I have been here and have asked questions, I feel very confident that I have become a better teacher and person for me and my students.”

Roberts said she is very conscientious to ensure all of her students stay on task, sharing that some students write faster than others and then tend to talk after finishing their lessons. Roberts redirects the students to get them back on track. 

“The biggest reward that I have as a classroom teacher is the connection that I can build with the students,” Roberts said. “I feel like the connection is very important because if you have a connection, they respect you more and they talk to you more, especially if they are going through something that might interfere with their learning.”