It’s been a good year for Kelli Rowland. Some may venture to say she’s earned an A+.
The Robinson Elementary teacher won two awards, Teacher of the Year for her school and Reading Teacher of the Year for Hillsborough County. So, it’s not hard to see the passion she has for her students.
“I want to make a difference in the lives of children,” Rowland said.
That goal has been one she’s held onto since she was a student at Robinson herself. Up into last year, she even worked alongside her former kindergarten teacher.
“It’s a real close, family-oriented school,” Rowland said. “It’s a great place to work.”
Her family of fellow teachers nominated her for the school award. As a self-contained teacher, Rowland teaches all subjects to her third-grade students. But, it’s reading that stands out as her favorite.
“I just have a passion for reading,” Rowland said. “Reading is the heart of all subjects. If you can’t read you won’t be successful in math or science or other subjects.”
With a genuine interest in her students’ abilities, Rowland has made reading fun. Her trick: Find articles and books that actually interest her students. She calls it her “hook.” From movies to sports, Rowland can reach any student.
She specifically remembers one student who loved baseball — but not reading. When she had him read an article about finding the sweet spot on the bat, he couldn’t get enough. He wanted more baseball articles. And wanted to find the sweet spot on his own bat.
“You have to engage them, and they will start to enjoy it,” Rowland said.
Although she has a hunch, Rowland isn’t sure who nominated her the district award. She suspects it’s an educator who has been working with her on the reading task force for lesson plans for Common Core Standards. The plans, being constructed for the Hillsborough district, include skills such as context clues, figurative language, genres and performance tests, among other lessons. The task force has been working on the plans since January.
“We’re building on skills that they use for the rest of the year,” Rowland said.
Although Rowland has a lot for which to be proud, she said her success wasn’t obtained on her own.
“I couldn’t do all of this without my husband,” Rowland said. “Whatever I need help with, he’s in the classroom or helping with science projects.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
QUICK LOOK
A Plant City native, Kelli Rowland lives mere miles from Robinson Elementary, where she teaches third grade. Rowland loves reading. Her favorite books include “Thank You, Mr. Falker” and the “Twilight” series. Rowland is married to Andy, a chemical engineer. They have two sons, Brant, 17, and Blaine, 8.