Mrs Arnold's class, with former LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines.
Robyn Arnold joined San Jose HGM in 2010 and has been a HUGE hit with kids and parents. She challenges students to think beyond themselves, beyond what they know already, communicates frequently with parents, and has built a supportive community among her families.
Raised and educated in the San Fernando Valley, Mrs. Arnold graduated Magnum Cum Laude from The University of Arizona after graduating from the LAUSD. She was drawn to early childhood education in the sixth grade when she believed enough in the group of special education students at her school to teach them what no one else there believed they could do – perform a complicated square dance routine at their culmination (which they did without missing a step, thanks to her tutelage at lunch and recess).
She taught at Cohasset Elementary for seven years and has years of experience in gifted education as a teacher, coordinator, and speaker at GATE symposia. As an original recipient of the Javits Grant, she works directly with USC’s Dr. Sandra Kaplan to research and test the best approaches to teaching gifted students. Dr. Kaplan developed the Depth and Complexity Icons widely used by school districts nationwide, including LAUSD. Mrs. Arnold will be training teachers on how to challenge and teach gifted students.
San Jose parents appreciate her intelligence, energy, directness, and regular emails about how each child is doing. Her strong beliefs in setting high goals and in working together to accomplish them help Mrs. Arnold to create an enriched environment for her students that they can’t wait to participate in. She believes in, respects, and admires each child’s unique personality, which encourages risk taking and confidence in the classroom. Some of the activities she employs to help students think like scholars include literature circles, Fairy Tales on Trial, pen pal relationships, weekly Scholar Reports, and student-led discussions.
Mrs. Arnold is also a proud new mom to Elliot, who was born in early 2010. Beyond academics, she remembers that her students are still children and that developing social skills is an important component of their education. Mrs. Arnold sums up her approach to teaching with her acronym for C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y…
C – constantly aware of students’ ever -changing needs. I believe that students are changing every day, personally and intellectually, and as a teacher, I need to be accommodating and accepting of the students that are in my classroom. It is my duty as a teacher to be able to modify and adjust to my students’ needs.
O – opportunities. When students are in my classroom, they are able to take full advantage of learning. Students are able to express themselves freely through many forms of communication and have the chance to learn something new everyday.
M – maintaining a positive classroom environment. In my classroom, I set my guidelines and it is the job of the class, as a whole, to work together to make sure those guidelines are met. Students are always interacting with one another, have the option to ask questions, and are able to explore the process of learning.
M -manipulation of hands-on objects. Most, if not all, of my lessons have manipulatives that the students can use. Manipulatives are a great way to help students feel a part of the lesson and are imperative for working with partners. Manipulatives help bring students together while reinforcing the new concept.
U – unity amongst students. In order to have a functioning classroom, students need to work as a team. In my classroom, there is no “I,” only “We.” Whatever one student does affects the rest of the class; therefore, we need to work as a team to resolve any problems. Students feel that their opinions and ideas matter, and are respected by all.
N – never giving up. I am a true believer in making sure that no child gives up. My classroom is a place where no child fails; instead, students are able to continue trying until they understand. Students in my classroom are supportive of those who have a hard time with certain areas. It is through positive reinforcement from both teacher and students that no child will have to feel a failure.
I – instruction. When teaching any lesson, it is my job to make sure that my students clearly understand what I am telling them. In order for my students to succeed, I must make them interested in the topic by activating their prior knowledge, making myself knowledgeable about the topic, and making sure that each child is actively participating in the lesson.
T – time. Students should never feel rushed or hurried to finish an assignment. I believe that every lesson needs to have instruction time (me explaining the new concept) and student thinking time (time for students to process and use the new concept). Students need to be constantly reminded of how much time they have to complete an assignment and they must have ample time to meet deadlines.
Y – youth. It is important to remember the students are still kids. In my classroom, while focusing on content areas, students also need to have an opportunity to work on their social skills. I believe that part of the day needs to be devoted to activities to help students learn more about themselves, their community, and the things that surround them.
Next teacher: Kimberly Garcia, 4th grade
