Lisa Robinson

Lisa Robinson of Cherry Valley is a Kindergarten teacher at Rolling Green Elementary in Rockford, where she’s been six of her 18 years teaching. She was nominated by students’ parents. One wrote, “She makes my daughter feel cared for and loved, all while keeping her engaged in learning.  She was nervous about being in school for the first time, but Mrs. Robinson took the doubt away the first day. I am grateful.” Principal Amy Powell says Lisa’s lessons “are not just about teaching the information; they are about immersing students in the joy of learning.”  Lisa creates a classroom community that encourages growth and kindness in everyone. She strives to make every child feel valued and supported. One day, a student who struggled leaving his mother to start school was having an especially hard day. As a staff member was sitting on the lobby floor trying to coax the student into the building, Lisa and her whole class appeared. “They rallied around the student, letting them know how happy they were to see them. They performed their morning songs in the lobby. The once-anxious student lit up and joined in, ultimately walking to the classroom with their peers.” She often challenges students in “open-ended projects that spark curiosity and discovery, both individually and collaboratively.” When projects seem difficult, they brainstorm about potential hurdles to getting through it. When done, they start running in place. Lisa calls out the hurdles and they pretend to jump over each one. “Jumping over each hurdle together seems to diminish them. We feel prepared to tackle the project. Together.”  Lisa’s students are each paired with a fourth grader, who they meet once a week to read or explore together and practice social skills. They are mixed with students in the deaf and hard of hearing program for art, music and gym. They learn and play with Arabic bilingual and Programmed Learning for Unique Students program students. Each day, they learn a sign and an Arabic word. Lisa says, “the ability to connect with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds is invaluable. These opportunities improve critical thinking skills, build empathy and encourage students to think differently.” One observer said, “everything the students experienced was positive, encouraging and instructional. Students respected each other, their teacher and the classroom.” Another wrote that she was “wonderful at promoting thinking and understanding. Every student contributed to discussions.”