Robin Abbott is a new teacher at Albuquerque Academy. Currently, Abbott is teaching two sections of 10th grade English II. However, in the winter trimester, she will join the history department for the remainder of the year, teaching two sections of AP US History during the winter trimester and two sections of 10th grade World History during the spring trimester. Abbott has been teaching in independent schools since 2000. She loves that she has the same schedule as her children and summers off!

Abbott grew up in Wisconsin and she returns there during the summers to enjoy the green colors and many lakes. She has taught in independent schools in New Hampshire, Ohio and New Mexico prior to joining AA’s English and History departments this year. Prior to working in independent schools, Abbott was an attorney, Outward Bound instructor, dive instructor on a cruise boat and she skied professionally.

If she couldn’t teach English or History, Abbott indicated she would like to work in Ex-Ed, as it resembles her work for Outward Bound. Abbott worked both in their program in Redford Texas where she directed paddling and hiking programs and their program in Ely, Minnesota where she worked in their boundary waters paddling programs, and she loved it!

When describing her experience with online teaching, she said, “you only have to worry about a little square on a computer screen. That is all anyone ever sees, so starting school here was amazingly easy. I didn’t actually meet very many people, but I was able to concentrate on completing my own planning and working on incorporating online tools. As far as meeting students online, meeting them is easy. Making meaningful connections is not as easy, but I think it’s happening. It is just happening a little bit slower than it would if you were in a classroom.”

“I would say, take advantage of Albuquerque Academy,” Abbott said when asked to give advice to students. “It has so many wonderful non academic options of things that you can do both, after school or during school to get involved in. I would say your academic career is in many ways laid out for you, however, while at Albuquerque Academy you have the opportunity to create an atmosphere of learning that is broader than your academics, find those opportunities.”