St. Rose Elementary is more than just a school to first grade teacher Robynn Melan – it’s her home. Melan’s teaching career has spanned 32 years and she’s spent every minute of it at St. Rose Elementary.
“I was honored to accept a first grade position in January of 1993 and have not left,” she said.
Melan dreamed of being a teacher when she was a child. She wanted to have a positive influence on students’ lives and contribute to their personal and academic growth. When she was five years old, one of her mother’s friends handed her some old teacher’s manuals.
“I played with them every day,” she said. “I would write in them, underline the parts I liked the most and teach the lessons from the book. I played school nearly every day. I suppose all the reading of the manuals and underlining the parts I liked prepared me for annotating lessons later in life.”
Today, Melan said it’s hard to name all the things she loves about being a teacher, but it all boils down to her colleagues and her students.
“The people I work with have become family to me,” she said. “I have met so many incredible educators. I have learned so much from each of them.
“But, the students are the reason I come to work every day.”
During her career, Melan has taught nearly 1,000 students and is now teaching her second generation of learners.
“I laugh because I say if I reach the third generation, it may be time to retire,” she said. “I love learning about my students. I love their personalities. I love their excitement. I love reading to them. I love bringing learning to life and making it real.”
While there have been many changes in teaching strategies over the years, Melan said that creating her own lessons and diving deep into standards have made her the teacher she is today.
“I have taken many professional courses to learn more about how to present lessons, how young learners need to be taught, how to teach a social curriculum, strategies on how to read, the science behind reading and many ways to show children how to be a mathematician, just to name a few,” she said. “These courses have taught me to think in new ways and has challenged my thinking as well. Educators have to be life-long learners, too!”
Melan’s favorite subject to teach is reading as she said that reading makes the stories come alive to her students.
“They will choose books from the library about the topics we are learning. Hearing stories come to life creates a love of reading and the desire to explore new ideas,” she said. “Watching students grow as readers and writers is one of the best parts of being a first grade teacher.”
Over the course of more than three decades, Melan said it’s hard to narrow down her favorite teaching memory, but one does stand out. It’s when a former student came back to St. Rose Elementary to vote in an election.
“He was one student that left a lasting impression on me. We still talk today,” she said. “We took a picture and he posted it to social media and said how his life was changed because of having me as one of his teachers. How can that not make you feel special?”
She said that seeing her students as adults, and even teaching some of their children, is extremely rewarding.
“Having them come back and share their memories with me makes my heart fill with love,” she said. “The graduates of Destrehan walking the halls in their caps and gowns fill me with joy and pride. Seeing my students succeed in life is rewarding.”
Melan, who is also a state certified mentor, is excited for another school year and said each class she has is like embarking on a new adventure.
“It is like getting sweet gifts every year. I look forward to getting my gifts and seeing all the wonderful possibilities each have to offer,” she said. “I am so lucky to work with the best team, the best faculty, and the best leaders. I can not wait to collaborate with all of them to have a successful school year. Our school theme is ‘Be All You Can Be’ and I promise to always do that.”
