The questions begin as soon as students take their seats in Garry Robinson’s social studies classroom at Center Grove Middle School Central.
On Thursday afternoon, Robinson began with questions for his students about where they’ve flown for international travel, what the experience was like and what they noticed about prices of every day items such as a bottle of soda. The lesson that day was about Australia and learning about how that nation’s isolation from the rest of the world impacts everything from how much they pay for imported goods to how the slang in its language developed.
With students at an age where they are easily distracted, Robinson said he works to make sure they are engaged and interested in his lessons about cultures and countries from the world. That means asking lots of questions and getting feedback from them in a room full of posters, maps and infographics.
“You’re always on the edge of your seat,” said seventh-grade student Garrison Barile.
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Barile said it’s impossible to be bored in Robinson’s class.
Robinson has been named teacher of the year for Center Grove schools. His fellow teachers first voted him as teacher of the year for Center Grove Middle School Central. Then, a panel at Franklin College selected Robinson from all of the other teachers of the year across the school district.
Robinson’s willingness to continue to learn and grow as a teacher and his ability to be a positive role model for his students are the qualities that led to him earning the award, said Craig Smith, the principal at Center Grove Middle School Central.
“Every year he strives to get better and better,” Smith said.
The morning before Robinson received the award, he had been in one of the school’s meetings where they were discussing new teaching techniques, Smith said. When he happened to go by Robinson’s classroom that afternoon, Smith saw him already beginning to incorporate those new ideas into his lesson.
Robinson’s motto in class: “There is more to the world than Center Grove.”
One of Robinson’s goals is to expand his students’ view of the world and get them to think about the areas that are outside of their normal experiences.
In Robinson’s classroom is a world map with a bit of a twist to it. Instead of the traditional map, where the United States is in the top left corner and Australia is in the bottom right, the map showed the world inverted as if the South Pole were on top.
He wants students to learn to see the world from other perspectives and be able to tolerate and respect different cultures.
Robinson is a teacher who helps students mature and become adults by modeling respect and good manners, Smith said.
“He is a role model,” Smith said.
Robinson, who has taught for more than four decades, with most of those years spent in Center Grove, estimates he has taught nearly 40,000 class periods in his career. He graduated from Center Grove High School in 1973. His teacher career began in Brownsburg, but he made his way back to Center Grove after six years.
His interest in social studies came from a love of learning about the world, which is part of why he teaches geography.
But because of his time coaching youth sports teams, he rarely has the ability to travel. His wish lists of places to visit includes Israel and Australia, the country he is currently teaching his students about.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Gary Robinson” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Gary Robinson
School: Center Grove Middle School Central
Class: Seventh grade social studies
Years teaching: 40
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