SDAMLE OMLE
South Dakota Association for Middle Level Education Outstanding Middle Level Educator
Robin Simmons, originally from Michigan, has been an educator for 15 years. She has spent the last four years serving 7th graders in Milbank, South Dakota. Robin joined the Bulldog family in 2016 after her husband's job moved them to the area from Murray, Kentucky in 2015 where she taught 8th grade ELA. She also taught high school English in Sallisaw, Oklahoma and 8th grade ELA and Social Studies in Stafford, Virginia and Fredericksburg, Virginia after receiving her Bachelor's Degree (2004) and Masters Degree (2006) from Michigan State University. Robin earned National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Language Arts in 2012.
Robin's passion is literacy and helping middle school students become lifelong readers by building a classroom library, doing weekly book talks, having individual reading conferences with students, and staying on top of new and high-interest novels students will read. She stays connected with current and best practices by connecting with educators through social media outlets and professional reading. She credits any success as a teacher to educators who continue to push her to grow, including colleagues she’s worked with across the country and teacher professionals like Kelly Gallagher, Penny Kittle, Pernille Ripp, Donalyn Miller, Colby Sharp, and Jim Burke, to name a few.
The most recent middle grade novel she highly recommends is Stamped by Jason Reynolds and her favorite professional books that have influenced her teaching the most are The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and 180 Days by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. She also recommends The Global Read Aloud, a global initiative started by Pernill Ripp, which connects students around the world through books and technology.
Robin's husband, Scott, works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They have two children, Tanner, 8, and Leah, 5. Robin loves running, reading middle grade and YA literature, traveling, and spending time with her family. You can connect with her on Twitter at @robinksimmons.
"Robin is the absolute epitome of progress, both quantitative and qualitatively. If you want to look in a numbers quantitative manner, our students have achieved tremendously high levels. The year before she assumed her position, our 7th-grade students had achieved behind the state average in proficiency on our state assessments. Since her joining our team, we have completely flipped this now scoring significantly above state averages across all areas assessed. These important quantifiable data points provide a real argument for her ability to move our students forward, but the real example is all of the real readers she has helped to create and build. To see her past students carrying books and reading, that is all the proof you need." ~Kris Evje - Middle School Principal
Robin's passion is literacy and helping middle school students become lifelong readers by building a classroom library, doing weekly book talks, having individual reading conferences with students, and staying on top of new and high-interest novels students will read. She stays connected with current and best practices by connecting with educators through social media outlets and professional reading. She credits any success as a teacher to educators who continue to push her to grow, including colleagues she’s worked with across the country and teacher professionals like Kelly Gallagher, Penny Kittle, Pernille Ripp, Donalyn Miller, Colby Sharp, and Jim Burke, to name a few.
The most recent middle grade novel she highly recommends is Stamped by Jason Reynolds and her favorite professional books that have influenced her teaching the most are The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and 180 Days by Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle. She also recommends The Global Read Aloud, a global initiative started by Pernill Ripp, which connects students around the world through books and technology.
Robin's husband, Scott, works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They have two children, Tanner, 8, and Leah, 5. Robin loves running, reading middle grade and YA literature, traveling, and spending time with her family. You can connect with her on Twitter at @robinksimmons.
"Robin is the absolute epitome of progress, both quantitative and qualitatively. If you want to look in a numbers quantitative manner, our students have achieved tremendously high levels. The year before she assumed her position, our 7th-grade students had achieved behind the state average in proficiency on our state assessments. Since her joining our team, we have completely flipped this now scoring significantly above state averages across all areas assessed. These important quantifiable data points provide a real argument for her ability to move our students forward, but the real example is all of the real readers she has helped to create and build. To see her past students carrying books and reading, that is all the proof you need." ~Kris Evje - Middle School Principal