It’s more than math: Be an advocate of encouragement
By Lauren Estes-Velez, Special to the Enquirer
Haley Hardin Roberts has been teaching for over a decade and in that time- she’s ventured to several schools across Morgan County— but up until about three years ago, she never felt at home. Now, she feels she is living out her passion.
“I started my career at Lawrence County High School in Moulton until I accepted a job at Hartselle High School,” Roberts said. In 2010, I left education to pursue a job opportunity on Redstone Arsenal working as an Army Aviation Data Analyst. My job on RSA was very interesting and the salary was much better, but I did not feel that I was living the purpose I was called to-which is teaching. I went back to education in 2014 where I taught at West Morgan High School for one year, and then moved to my alma mater-Falkville High School the following year. It has been a blessing for me to teach at the school that I graduated from because I feel like I am ‘home.’”
All teachers share a moment of clarity that hits and makes them realize they are in the right place at the right time, Roberts said the students at FHS are amazing, and she feels honored and blessed to call them her students
“I feel it is my passion and aspiration to encourage them to fulfill their dreams,” Roberts said. “My first ‘teaching experience’ was when I was in college and I had a mother call and ask me to tutor her son. He was a senior and had only one more chance to pass the graduation exam. I tutored him weekly. It was pretty gruesome because this was probably not the most enjoyable two hours of his day. He was working math problems when technically he didn’t have to. He just wanted to graduate from high school. After several weeks of tutoring, he took the exam. I was so nervous for him. When he called to tell me his results were in, my heart was racing. After telling me that he passed, I was so excited that I cried. At that moment, I knew that teaching was for me. I have had many teacher moments’ throughout my years of being in the classroom. I have shed many tears worrying about my students with home lives that were not ideal. I have tried my best to foster positivity and aid them in overcoming various challenges that they had to endure.”
Roberts said she holds tight to one memory that stays in the back of her mind that has been impactful since she began her career.
“When facing hard times, I think of one student that I tried to help keep him focused on his schoolwork and hopefully boosted his morale,” Roberts said. “Upon graduation, he expressed his appreciation for me taking time to help him and the impact it had on his life. To me, that’s what teaching is all about, making a positive impact on the students’ lives. I think what this student did not realize is that he has made as much of an impact on me as I had him. With all the challenges that he faced, he was always kind to other people. He didn’t take his frustrations out on others, and he always offered to help me with anything. To me, those are qualities that are important; more important than anything you can ever learn in a textbook.”
Haley said she has been married to her husband, Matt Roberts for 11 years and they have three children. She enjoys spending times with her family, especially during the summer and football season.
“Matt is my husband and our three children are: Jackson-20, Landon-19, and Rhett is three-years-old,” Roberts said. “During the summer, I love going on family beach trips, as well as relaxing by our pool. My husband and I enjoy cooking together. Well, he is actually the better cook, but I do enjoy the eating. love watching college football and I am an Alabama fan and my husband is an Auburn fan, therefore it can get interesting at our house.”
Up until last year, they never thought they would also be Ole Miss fans, then their son Landon began attending the University of Mississippi.
“Everyone says, ‘Hotty Toddy’ when playing a neutral team,” Roberts said. “The entire family pretty much revolves everything around my youngest son, Rhett. He is three years old and full of energy. I’d say he is the “boss” of our household.”
Math has always been on of her passions, even thinking back to high school, it was what she loved.
“I would help my friends with their homework. I remember thinking about different ways I could explain the concepts in order for them to understand. So when I entered college, I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Roberts said. “After I began teaching, I discovered that my purpose was more than math. It was to be an encourager and an advocate for my students. Sometimes I feel that my students do not realize the magnitude of their potential. I teach some really smart kids, but often they do not see their capabilities like I do. It is my mission for them to live up to their true potential and have the confidence to pursue their goals.”
Being a positive influence is one of her top goals while leading students in the classroom each, but she has several that she is work toward.
“I would love to think that I am a light in their day when things are not always going well. That may be wishful thinking because some students don’t enjoy math as much as I do, but I do want them to enjoy my class,” Roberts said. “I have numerous goals each and every year. I hate to sound cliché , but first goal is to always be a positive influence on my students. Moreover, I want them to feel comfortable coming to my class and asking me questions. Those things are important to me. I believe, children learn best when they are in a safe, pleasant environment. I relish on making my students laugh and enjoy learning math. I also have goals that are slightly more measurable. We have started offering Advanced Placement (AP) classes at FHS this year, and I am teaching AP Statistics. This has been a fun challenge for me. My goal is to prepare them with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to pass the AP test and receive college credit. I also want to help my students increase their ACT score in order to give them more opportunities for college scholarships. Of course, ultimately, I want my students to learn the concepts and be able to apply it to their lives. I do not like that education is so test-centered that we forget the reason for formal schooling, which is to learn an obtain skills that will be useful in the real world.”
Roberts is also the Math Team Sponsor at Falkville and tries to get as many students involved as possible.
