Seeking inspiration through science Roberts starts first year at Iola High

Science may not be every student’s favorite subject. Caitlin Roberts wants to change that.
“I just want kids to be excited about science,” Roberts said.
Roberts, 22, is a first-year biology teacher at Iola High School. She graduated from Pittsburg State University in May, where she studied in biology.
The Chanute native originally planned to study pharmacy but decided to take a different career path.
“It wasn’t fun anymore, it became stressful,” Roberts said. “So I took a lot of different classes and had a great professor.
“Once I had my first field experience, I fell in love with it.”
Roberts said she wants to make science interesting to her students.
“All of my bio classes are at capacity,” she said. She also teaches anatomy and physiology for upper-level students in the high school. This class is geared more to students who want to go into science after high school.
Since she is fresh out of college and close in age to her students she feels that she can connect with them more easily, but she also wants to distinguish herself from the students, so they will feel better about approaching her.
Roberts is bringing technology into her lesson plan as another way to relate to her students. She is trying out a program that texts her students reminders of when homework is due or when there is an up and coming test.
“We are using an older version of the textbook and we have the new digital version,” she said. “It’s my goal to work with the digital textbooks.”
Roberts also mentioned that there are many science apps for iPad devices that she likes to use.

NOT ONLY is Roberts tackling her first year of teaching, she also is working on another degree, a master’s in leadership. She hopes to pursue an administration career path in the future.
When she’s not making lesson plans for the next day, she enjoys her dog Blue and likes to “be crafty.”
Currently she is living in Chanute. Although the faculty gave her a “hard time” for being from a rival school the reception she’s received in the district has been a warm one.
“They have been really helpful at the school,” she said. “Everyone has been super nice and taken me under their wing.”