Mrs. Debra Roberts is a Spanish teacher at Colonia High School and the adviser of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. Friendly, helpful, and approachable, she is admired for her hard work, effort, and commitment to teaching.
Growing up in Colonia
Mrs. Roberts was born in Colonia, New Jersey. In her childhood, she loved playing in the backyard with her sisters. She aspired to become a teacher ever since she was eight years old. As a teenager, she attended Colonia High School, which she described as “an enriching experience.” Upon graduating high school, she attended Kean College of New Jersey. During her college years, Mrs. Roberts majored in Spanish–an interest she first developed in Junior High School–and secondary education. As a non-native speaker of Spanish, learning the language was “a challenging experience.” In college, she was able to become fluent by engaging in conversation with a circle of Spanish-speaking friends. The most difficult part of learning the language, however, was reading and interpreting literature that was written entirely in Spanish. After completing her major, Mrs. Roberts became a Spanish teacher, an occupation she has held at Colonia High School for twenty years. Previously, Mrs. Roberts taught at Union Catholic High School for two years.
Teaching in School
Every year, Mrs. Roberts interacts with new students who are eager to learn Spanish. She enjoys getting to know her students. As a teacher, the most enjoyable part for her in teaching Spanish is “seeing my students express themselves in the language.” She professed that “Teaching my Spanish classes is usually a fun and interesting experience every day.” Other teachers have recognized Mrs. Roberts’s rapport with students. According to Ms. Christine Dalina, “Mrs. Roberts is a caring, determined individual. She is an excellent teacher who is always looking for new ideas and is not hesitant to share her own with other teachers. Mrs. Roberts is a passionate teacher who loves what she does.” Many students appreciate her distinct method of teaching, which combines group work, verbal practice, and reinforcement. They also appreciate her offers of assistance and her ability to understand problems they may encounter.
National Honor Society
At Colonia High School, new students are elected to the National Honor Society every year. A student must be in his or her junior or senior year at CHS and have been enrolled at CHS for at least two semesters. Mrs. Roberts receives a list from guidance of all of the juniors and seniors who are eligible to become a “member of the CHS chapter of the NHS.” She is in charge of reviewing the necessary paperwork and requirements to become a member of the National Honor Society with students. The requirements to become a member of NHS include having a minimum B+ average weighed cumulative grade point average and participating in school and community activities throughout high school. Juniors need a minimum of six activities and seniors require eight activities. In addition, students must acquire ten recommendations of good character and leadership skills from faculty members. A committee of five faculty members reviews the material given by these students and selects the final list of NHS inductees. Mrs. Roberts does a tremendous job in orchestrating the process.
Life after School
Mrs. Roberts not only enjoys teaching at CHS but pursues fun activities on the weekends. She bowls once a week with her sister and does spin cycling twice a week. Mrs. Roberts loves playing Scrabble on the computer and watching movies. Over the years, she has visited several Spanish countries with her family, including Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Of these visits, she enjoyed Spain the most. In the future, she would love to return there to do more sightseeing. Although Mrs. Roberts looks forward to teaching for several more years., she would like to move to Florida when she retires because she enjoys the hot weather. She also plans on relaxing and taking part in outdoor activities with her husband, as well as visiting her daughter and her son-in law in Atlanta, Georgia.
