Meet Mrs. Robertson, the Carey Clipper advisor and a beloved English teacher at H. Frank Carey High School. This year, she teaches English 9, AP Language and Composition for juniors, and English 101 for seniors. Mrs. Robertson has been a teacher for 20 years, but most people don’t know that her story began in an entirely different field.
Mrs. Robertson’s ‘origin story’ as a teacher is deeply tied to the events of 9/11. At the time, she was working for Verizon but felt unfulfilled in her career. The tragedy led many to reevaluate their lives, and she was no exception. When Verizon later offered employees a package to leave the company, including two years of tuition assistance, she took a leap of faith. She had to leave the company before receiving her acceptance letter from Queens College, but looking back, she knows it was the best decision she ever made.
“I was working for Verizon back in 2001, but knew I wanted to do something else. After 9/11, I read about so many people leaving their jobs to pursue their dreams because we all realized how quickly it all can be taken from us.”
As an experienced English teacher, Mrs. Robertson loves incorporating creative projects into her lessons. A standout was when she had her eighth-grade students write an additional chapter for The Giver in a format of their choice—some wrote children’s books, some made videos, and one even created a graphic novel. Another favorite was her AP Language class’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade project, where students designed a parade float to support an argument, complete with design elements, sponsor choices, and presentations.
“I was floored by some of the incredible design ideas and presentations my kids came up with, it was really incredible to see! Love to see what my kids can do…but more importantly, I love to see them realize how creative and innovative they are! I do believe that projects like this not only help students to develop their argumentative and analytical skills, but they also empower our kids to use their creativity. And that’s powerful.”
According to Ms. Robertson, teaching English also comes with its challenges, particularly grading. “The grading is challenging because it requires so much reading and attention to detail,” she explains. “I always want to provide feedback that is thoughtful and that the student can use, it is just time consuming and tires out my brain.”
“When we grade essays, we have to read them, process what they are saying, determine what needs improvement and what has been done well, provide thoughtful feedback that is helpful to the student…and then do it again for the next student.”
Despite the workload, the rewards are immeasurable. When asked who inspires her the most, she looks towards all her students.
“My former students who continue to be themselves out there in the world, who are doing their thing on their terms. I love to hear from them, or connect with them in some way, and learn about what they are doing. The kids that are now teachers themselves, and small business owners, and lawyers, and dog groomers, and the ones that are going back to school like I did, and those that are traveling, and those that are married and having children with so much love in their hearts…I can’t explain just how inspiring I find all of them to be. Watching them all become these thoughtful adults is magic to me.”
Mrs. Robertson never loses sight of what she wants her students to take away from her classroom. “One thing I want my students to learn is that they are more than a score,” she says. “That each of them is a person, and who they are is way more important than any score they earn.” Mrs. Robertson’s classroom philosophy involves what she calls the ‘learning zone vs the performance zone.’ She creates classroom assignments encouraging her students to make mistakes, learn from them, and try again.
Life Outside of Teaching
Mrs. Robertson is a woman of many passions and interests– she’s a food-blogger and an avid solo traveler. Her first solo-journey in particular stands out to her: “When I went to Iceland in February of 2019 on my own, it showed me that I could successfully plan my own trip (with a little help from a couple of teachers in the science department!), get around on my own in another country, enjoy my time alone exploring a new place, meet and talk with other people…it allowed me to realize that I can, in fact, travel on my own.”
Since then, she’s ventured to Portugal, Spain, Montenegro, and Indonesia—and every place has brought new experiences. And of course, all that traveling comes with unforgettable meals.
“When I was in Montenegro, I ate burek every day for breakfast. My friend’s husband would bring us coffee and burek every morning – it was amazing! The frappes in Santorini are a dream; nothing comes close to it here! Dadar Gulung in Bali was just delicious! It’s basically a rolled pandan pancake with coconut and sugar inside. Everything in Bali is made with the freshest ingredients, and having these freshly made was a delicious treat! I had Arroz de Marisco in Porto, Portugal, in his small village that was holding a festival that night. Between eating the freshest seafood outdoors, taking in the views of the village all decorated for the festival, and then the fireworks going off while I was eating, it was remarkable!”
When she isn’t busy being a globe-trotter, Mrs. Robertson never passes up the opportunity to try her hand at different hobbies. Currently, she’s looking forward to starting her drawing and pottery classes. And of course, she also loves reading and journaling! Even on tiring days, she takes a few minutes each day to record her thoughts and read a few pages of a novel.
If Mrs. Robertson could invite any three authors (living or dead) to a dinner party, she would pick George Orwell, Toni Morrison, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “A difficult choice, but I feel those are three that are so intelligent and creative! I am sure I could talk with them for hours,” she explains.
As for the fictional character she most identifies with? She had to phone a friend.
“So, I am not sure what fictional character I actually identify with. However, towards the end of last school year, Mr. Needham told me that I remind him of Katniss from The Hunger Games. He said something about how I’ll stand up for what is right and just, how he thinks of Katniss when he thinks of me. I’d like to think I have a little Katniss inside of me.”
And lastly, she left her students a few wise and heartfelt words:
Remember that your path is your own, that comparison is the thief of joy. It took me a long time to really take this in, but comparing ourselves to others disrespects our own journeys. It is so easy to look at where others are in their lives and feel insecure, or jealous, or defeated. This just ends up causing us to judge ourselves, to put ourselves down instead of lifting ourselves up. And ultimately this just causes us to waste so much time on ruminating about where we are “supposed” to be in our lives instead of just living them! Taking the time to speak kindly to ourselves, to recognize that we are each unique individuals on different paths, to shift our perception so that we can celebrate others while also celebrating ourselves, to honor our own journeys and what we want for ourselves rather than trying to fit in to what society tells us we should want….all of this works to make it so we really live our lives instead of just surviving. Take your journey, allow yourself to learn and explore and grow, be present in each moment, and remember that when you do stray from your own path, it is always there for you to get back on again.
