Teacher of the Week: Meghan Rogers, second grade, Potomac Grade School
Mar. 30—For former Armstrong student Meghan Rogers, taking a job at Potomac Grade School in 2020 after a year of teaching at Rossville-Alvin Grade School was like a return home.
"Teaching at Potomac is a part of that same community," Rogers said, "where the people are so special to my family and me."
From pumpkin book reports to games that excite her young students, the 2018 Eastern Illinois University graduate tries to instill in her students the same enthusiasm for learning that she has for teaching.
I became a teacher because ... I wanted to make a difference in students' lives and be a positive support for all. I have always loved school and had a passion for learning. Being a teacher is the perfect opportunity to share that love for learning with young kids and teach them about being the best people they can be, along the way. Wall murals around my classroom say, "You Matter," "Believe in Yourself," "We are Family," and "Today is a Good Day for a Good Day." I strive to instill confidence, togetherness and determination into my students, day after day.
My favorite/most unique lesson that I teach is ... pumpkin book reports! We spend a great deal of time in the month of October learning about pumpkins, experimenting with pumpkin seeds and investigating the life cycle of a pumpkin. At the same time, students are working in reading on retelling a fictional story and describing characters. By the end of the month, I like to combine these two concepts by having students use a small pumpkin to create the book character. It is amazing to see students' creativity with this project!
My most fulfilling moment on the job was/is when ... students have that "ah‑ha" moment and catch themselves doing something that was once challenging for them to do. The look in their eyes of accomplishment and pride is something that I love to see right by their side. I enjoy praising my students and encouraging them along the way, but it's extra exciting when they take ownership in their progress.
I keep students engaged by ... trying to include as many hands-on experiences as possible. Games always get students more excited for learning. You quickly learn that all students have different needs to achieve success, and my goal is to ensure that students are receiving material at their individualized level to keep them engaged.
Something else I'm passionate about is ... sports. I coached cheerleading for four years, and my husband is a basketball and baseball coach in the community. We stay busy at sporting events year-round. Like teaching, you begin to love the players as your own kids, and enjoy supporting them and cheering them on every step of the way.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school was ... Mrs. Ochs, my second-grade teacher at Armstrong-Ellis Grade School. I kept a tub of things from school growing up and have brought some of the second-grade projects from my time with Mrs. Ochs into my classroom to re-create with my students including a 100th-day writing activity and Valentine's Day writing craft. Mrs. Ochs' encouragement for her students and passion for engaging us in learning is something I always looked up to her for, and now strive to be as a teacher.
If I weren't a teacher, I would be ... a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit. After my daughter, who is now 2 years old, spent the first month of her life in the NICU, my husband and I were inspired by the role that these nurses have. What an important, selfless and warmhearted job NICU nurses have to serve the babies and their families.
— ANTHONY ZILIS
