Whitney McCallum and Sonya Roberts - Cohort 3 Teaching Mentors

Three words to describe Whitney McCallum’s classroom: “rigorous, engaged, and fun.” McCallum teaches English Language Arts and Social Studies on the sixth-grade team, and has been teaching Grades K-6 for the past 22 years. McCallum’s passion is to inspire her students to engage as critical thinkers who question, wonder, ponder, and doubt, who “look to change the world” with their ideas She enjoys being innovative in the classroom and consistently tries to grow and hone her craft by identifying and implementing new data-supported teaching methodologies or strategies. She is a Laconia local, born and raised surrounded by lakes and mountains. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time on the lake boating or floating, and reading and playing board games on rainy days.  Her family has recently started a small farm in Moultonborough  which also keeps her busy.  

Sonya Roberts embodies the idea of being both a student and a teacher. She says, ‘there is no better way to learn or master a skill (teaching) than to practice it.” In her time away from the classroom she studies social justice and project-based learning at Northeastern University as she works toward a Doctorate in Education.  Robert’s ongoing studies play a pivotal role in her personal pedagogy and how she designs her classroom at Laconia Middle School.  She is an avid believer in providing differentiation for students that focus children as individuals by using hands on materials, like FOSS kits for science or integrating technology into student learning through online math programs. There is always time to stop and reflect when you are working with Roberts, whether you are a student, teacher, or resident. Before teaching sixth grade, Roberts taught Kindergarten and grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 over her 29 years as an educator.  In her free time, she enjoys biking, skiing, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two children.