Rohm’s teaching goals include motivating his students to want to learn inside and outside of the classroom
When setting foot in Shawnee High School teacher Marc Rohm’s classroom, the first thing that catches your eye isn’t the almost-entirely erased whiteboard, bordered by a handful of reminders written in marker, nor is it the scattered colorings and handmade arts and crafts that adorn the cinder block walls. Rather, a large bulletin board just to the right of the classroom door, where paper cutouts of tiny human flowers — some green and some orange — all bloom under one colorful, capitalized word: “Diversity.”
According to Rohm, who was recently recognized as Shawnee High School’s Teacher of the Year, being a successful teacher takes willingness to go above and beyond to find out what helps each individual student succeed.
“It really is a goal of them being invested in learning, and wanting to continue learning, you know, beyond the classroom,” Rohm explained. “And so my goal is for the kids to come in and be able to say, ‘oh, we learned this, and then I did this over the weekend that applied to it.’ So it really is for them not just to learn it but to live it.”
In addition to teaching, Rohm also runs the Gay Straight Alliance, the Fall Drama at Shawnee High School and volunteers as the advisor for the school’s Spring Stage, a student-run, student-directed play.
“This is a great school and a great district to work with, and I just feel like I’m the lucky one,” Rohm said. “I really am lucky to be here. It’s not a job to me.”
Although Rohm wouldn’t consider it a “job,” he’s been in the profession for 28 years. Rohm is approaching his 23rd year at Shawnee, where he works in the special education department teaching students from ages 14 to 21.
Fate coincided with Rohm when he applied to be a computer teacher at a private school, and ended up teaching students with special needs by accident.
“I wanted to be a teacher, and it wound up being a school for special needs,” said Rohm, who teaches subjects varying from math, to history, to computers and so on. “I found out the first day, and I fell in love with it. Talk about fate.” He smiles.
This is Rohm’s first time being recognized as Teacher of the Year, although he has previously been honored with an Employee of the Month award.
“It’s a huge honor,” Rohm said, followed by a slight pause that hinted a loss of words. “I’m really blessed. I get to work with great coworkers who all care about the kids and want to see them advance, and an administration that honestly supports different initiatives we want to do, and, of course, the kids, that’s what it’s all about.”
Although Rohm spends his days in the classroom teaching high school students, they’re not the only ones learning something from it all: Rohm says his students have taught him to expect the unexpected, and, ultimately, what the bigger goal in the classroom is.
“They teach me each day honestly, what they need, that kind of builds into my toolbox of things that I can do with them,” he said.
One teaching advantage Rohm believes sets him apart is he deals with the same students for up to seven or eight years, so he’s able to see what gets each individual invested in learning.
“I get to create personal relationships, really know students’ interests — what motivates them — and [I’m] able to use that within my class,” he said.
Rohm said his advice to other teachers would be to try new things, and “never be afraid to approach something from a different angle.” But as for his students, it’s quite simple: “Find happiness in whatever you do.”
