Introducing Mrs. Read, Robin Margent

Hi.  I'm Mia Lun, aka Mrs. Write.  I'm so excited to introduce my friend and colleague, Mrs. Read, Robin Margent.  We've been friends for nearly 25 years, brought together by our two sons when they were toddlers. As they've grown up, so has our friendship, which really got going when I became the paraprofessional in her classroom.

As you've seen in her About Us bio, Robin has been teaching for nearly 30 years.  She's an accomplished and effective teacher, but she's more than that. She's a magician.  I swear.  I loved my day in the classroom, excited to relearn things I'd forgotten or learn for the first time.

Here's what I know about my two years spent in her classroom.  She has the uncanny ability to inspire and motivate her students while bringing out their individual brilliance. Her expectations are high. She makes learning fun, and her students know their stuff--simple memorization is never enough.  I think her secret is that she teaches to mastery by slipping in lessons where her students least expect them.  And the children practice, practice, and practice some more without getting bored. They think they're playing or crafting when...voila! they are actively learning!

She's also one of the 'go-to' teachers at our school, often sought out by her colleagues for ideas and advice. Whether it be phonics or science or language arts, you'll see a lot of her work being used in classrooms all over the school.

I took a minute for a little Q & A with Mrs. Read, and here's what she had to say:

How would you describe your classroom in three words?

"Busy. Busy. Busy. There is not a minute of down time in my room.  Children are working/playing every second of the school day. From the outside looking in, it may look like chaos, but it is controlled. Their brains are always busy and they are learning."

What's your favorite part of teaching?

"I love the creative part of figuring out how I'm going to get all of these kids, who are all so different,  to understand and master what I want them to learn. I also love when I'm teaching and I can see in the 'aha' in their eyes.  That's when we both know they've really got it.   And my favorite part is when years and years later when they come back and say 'Thank you, Mrs. Margent.  I learned everything I needed to know in first and second grade.'"

What's your greatest frustration?

"My greatest frustration has been how to keep the magic in the classroom while teaching to mastery. With having to fulfill the myriad of obligations now...paperwork and data and proving by every means possible what kind of teacher I am, it's tough to fit everything in.  How to fit in the fun stuff fun, the art and fun stuff the things that make small children feel proud of themselves and their accomplishments."

So how do you fit it in?

"I fit it in every which way possible.  Morning work, early finisher work, and meaningful homework, for starters.  Even individual birthdays are tied into lessons. I want to make sure their brains are continuously working.  The end result is so worth it because they not only learn but develop a deep curiosity and love of learning that they carry with them."

I'm so thrilled that we have joined forces to create fun, educational and engaging materials--from our classroom to yours!