Brandon Twp.-As a new teacher Alice Robb would often kneel down by students? desks to discuss questions they may have.
Today, after teaching more than 30 years, instructing about 6,000 students and grading countless reams of homework, Robb just rolls her chair over to the students who need help.
‘Time to start a new adventure,? laughs Robb, who announced her retirement from Brandon Middle School in April after 31 years in the district. ‘I don’t feel bad leaving’I’m now open for whatever. I’ve had a great career.?
A native of Batesville, In., Robb attended Immaculate Conception Academy, in nearby Oldenburg, In.
‘My third grade teacher, Sister Myra Peine, really impressed me,? said Robb. ‘She really cared about the children. There were 48 students in the classroom and everyone was important to her. I was blessed with a fantastic teacher. I loved math and she really encouraged me to be a teacher.?
‘When I grew up it was uncommon for girls to go on to college, but it was my father’s dream that we all go,? said Robb, the youngest of three girls in the family. She also had two younger brothers.
‘Dad would tell us, ‘no one could ever take an education away from you.? That advice came from a man who struggled through the Depression and knew what unemployment was like.?
Robb would attend Marian College in Indianapolis, Ind. where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Mathematics and Elementary Education in 1966.
‘After graduation I wanted to teach where I could snow ski. My choices were either Colorado or Michigan, states with snow. I had an opportunity in Roseville Michigan so I took the bus up there to visit.?
Robb’s first teaching position was at Saint Athanasius near 13 Mile Road in Roseville where she earned $5,000 per year and taught kindergarten through eighth grade.
In 1968, she married Joe, a widower with two girls Jody and Lori. After their son, Mikel, was born in 1969 she stopped teaching and stayed at home with the children. The family moved to Brandon Township in 1972, and she returned to teaching at Brandon Middle School in 1975.
In 1994, she earned a master’s degree in middle school education from Eastern Michigan University.
During the years in the Brandon School District, Robb taught primarily seventh and eighth grade pre-algebra and eighth grade algebra but also sixth grade reading, eighth grade science and crafts.
‘I ran into one of my students at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany,? said Robb. ‘I’ve also had lots of second generation students in my class.?
‘The kids have been great, my goal was for students to not only understand math but to enjoy it’to make it fun. Kids are kids and will always be’they all want to learn. Some just need more motivation than others.?
Robb plans on extensive travel including a trip with grandchildren to Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons National Park and a trip to an’Elderhostel? in Vermont. In addition, Robb is considering a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy.