Lafayette Spotlight: Ms. Rodenbo
Ms. Rodenbo seated in her colorful classroom
What historical figure would Ms. Rodenbo meet if she could time travel?
Q–Why did you come to LHS and how many years have been there?
A–This is my first year at LHS. I started mid-February. I came to LHS to make a bigger impact on student learning. This was my ninth year in the classroom as an English teacher, and I felt ready to try something new. I chose LHS because I was excited about the position and the school, and I really appreciated that this role was a defined role (a lot of districts are adding school improvement specialist positions, but they don’t all know what the role is yet).
Q–What college did you go to?
A–I have a B.A. from Virginia Tech, an M.S. from Radford University, an M.F.A. from Lindenwood University, and a Ph.D. from the College of William & Mary.
Q–Where are you from originally?
A–Hopewell, Virginia—just down Route 5 from here 😊
Q–Why did you decide to teach?
A–I actually didn’t plan to go into teaching, but one of my master’s courses at Radford put me into a 9th grade English class for a month. I loved it immediately, and I knew I had to be a teacher.
Q–What do you love about your job?
A–I love that I can help students in real-time, whether it’s by helping them pass a test they need for graduation or providing them with support to succeed in their classes. I feel like I can feel my impact every day here.
Q–If you could meet anyone from any time in the past, who would you choose and why?
A–I would very much like to meet Jane Austen. There are so many questions about her life and her writing that I’d like to ask.
Q–If you could be born in another time, which time would that be and why?
A–As a woman, I would not want to be born in any other time in history. I can’t imagine having no rights and having to answer to my father or husband my entire life. 1989 was the right year for me, for sure!
Q–Is teaching your dream job?
A–I think teaching is my realistic dream job. I would love to be a full-time novelist in the future, but I also know I am not ready to leave K-12.
Q–Hot or cold?
A–Hot! I hate the cold.
Q–What was your favorite subject in school?
A–Shocker: English. I always did well in English, and I have three English degrees. 😊 Teaching English for nine years at the high school level, and now, teaching English at the college level, has been really amazing because I love the subject area so much!
