The Write Stuff - Virginia
October 2014
I was beyond excited when Robin Simmons agreed to talk with me about her philosophy and practices of teaching writing for this week’s post. Robin and I met seven years ago when she was teaching social studies in Stafford, Virginia. Even though she was fairly new to teaching, we could all see that she had a certain spark that made her a gifted and natural teacher. As life goes, Robin and her family left Virginia, but she continued teaching in each state where she and her husband, Scott, moved. In Oklahoma and Kentucky, she ignited her students’ desire to grow as learners and collaborators.
It has been ten years since Robin started teaching. While she has taught English at both the middle and high school levels, her latest position is with 8th graders at Calloway County Middle School in Murray, Kentucky. In the time since I first met her, Robin has pursued further training through National Board and National Writing Project Certifications and has developed a definite philosophy on the role and importance of writing in her classroom. (Continue Reading)
Robin Simmons (right) with colleague Kimberly Barrett