Illinois Teacher’s Unbelievably Selfless Acts Move One Mom to Tears
Congratulations to 97ZOK's new 'Teacher of the Week, Jamise Roberts from Riverview Elementary School in South Beloit, Illinois.
Jamise is making an incredible difference in the lives of young people and their families at Riverview Elementary School..
The covid pandemic has changed so many things about our lives. These changes are taking an enormous toll on our children. Jamise, like so many other teachers, find incredible ways to do 'a little something extra' to make each of their students feel loved and connected.
Our Teacher of the Week was nominated by Amber Laue and by her two daughters, Natalie and Whitney. They write,
"When I think about what makes Mrs. Roberts a great teacher, it is hard to find a good starting point, because so much of what she does is amazing. Mrs. Roberts became a household name in my house 5 years ago when my oldest daughter started third grade. My oldest daughter is a smart cookie, but has a lot of anxiety with transitions.
She quickly fell in love with Mrs. Roberts. They bonded over Harry Potter and all things Hogwarts. They formed a relationship like no other she has experienced at school. As the school year came to a close there were a lot of tears at my house because she would be saying goodbye to her beloved teacher. At the end of year family picnic, I was shocked at how many kids teared up or went back for one more hug before leaving. As we pulled out of the parking lot both Natalie and I were in tears. How could anyone ever top Mrs. Roberts?
She has remained a steady name in our house even after Natalie left third grade. Last year my youngest had the absolute pleasure of having Mrs. Roberts. Again, her ability to form meaningful relationships with her students became evident. Whit loved her!
The day the kids left for 6 weeks of remote learning my 'tough as nails' third grader sobbed. But have no fear, Mrs. Roberts was so kind to have multiple one-on-one Zoom calls with Whitney just to talk to her and check on because she could tell that Whit was struggling with the isolation aspect of remote learning. Disguised as needing help, Whit would ask for Zoom calls and Mrs. Roberts jumped every time. Often times staying on the call to chat and joke even after she "helped her" her with her school work.
Again, as third grade came to an end both my child and I were in tears. Mrs. Roberts still checks in on my kids and is invested in their future. Whenever I see her, she asks about my 7th grader and she checks in on Whit still as they are in the same building.
I will forever be grateful that my girls were so lucky to have Mrs. Roberts. When I asked them what makes her a great teacher they said "she is kind, patient, fair, loving and she doesn't yell even if she is disappointed in your choices. She helps you figure out how to do it better without yelling or making you feel bad about yourself."
As 97ZOK's Teacher Of The Week, Jamise Roberts was surprised with a beautiful floral arrangement from Broadway Florist and a delicious cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. You can nominate your favorite teacher right here.