Top Photo: Roberts gets into character for Fan Fusion
Sara Roberts is a special needs preschool teacher at Washington Elementary. She has been teaching for 14 years, 10 of those at Washington.
Her dad worked as an occupational therapist, explains Roberts. “It’s kind of in our blood” to work with kids with special needs, she says. While her job has its challenges and “sometimes it’s very loud,” she loves watching her students grow and progress.
In addition to teaching letters, numbers and colors—the basic stuff—Roberts says the most important part of her job is building relationships. She works with kids on their behavior and social skills to help them interact with adults. For example, for students with speech delays Roberts teaches them how to ask for what they need.
“When they leave my classroom, I want them to be able to be successful in kindergarten,” says Roberts.
According to student Neveah, Roberts “makes every day a fun day to learn!” Plus, “She is so nice and caring.”
Roberts was on maternity leave for part of this year. While she enjoyed having time with her new baby, she missed her class and visited her students while she was out. “It was hard to leave my students,” says Roberts. “They’re like my own personal children.” In addition to her 4-month-old, Roberts has five other kids (ages 4, 7, 17, 20 and the oldest is 23).
Roberts calls herself a big nerd—she loves video games and crafting. “I have an obsession with Super Mario. My whole classroom is Super Mario themed,” she says.
She enjoys dressing as Rainbow Brite at comic cons, and she also works at Phoenix Fan Fusion. Roberts loved seeing actor Dick Van Dyke last year and in 2017, and she is really excited that the Hobbits will be at Fan Fusion this year (the actors from the Lord of the Rings movies).
Roberts was born in Montana, but moved as a kid due to her dad’s time in the military. She first came to Arizona when her dad was stationed at Davis-Monthan. She says she likes the weather in Arizona. “There are no tornadoes and I can handle a haboob or two,” she notes. She works hard to give her students a clear path forward. She says her calling is to “give them a head start.”
