Graduate Faculty Focus | Andrea Robinson-Tejada

"Hood is one of a select few colleges in Maryland to offer a support course for National Board Certification candidates. We currently boast a 90% achievement rate among candidates, which is remarkable"

Andrea Robinson-Tejada, Adjunct Professor of Curriculum and Instruction

Program

  • Curriculum and Instruction (M.S.)

Department

  • Education
  • Faculty
  • Graduate School
  • Graduate Student
  • Academics
  • Education

Andrea Robinson-Tejada is an adjunct professor at Hood College, where she teaches graduate courses in the Education department. She is a certified reading specialist who teaches ESOL in grades 6-8 at Parkland Magnet Middle School in Rockville, Maryland. Andrea has successfully advocated for the implementation of grade-level, standards-based curriculum with her emergent level English language learners. Andrea has 20 years of experience as a teacher and is National Board Certified in both English as a New Language and Literacy.

How did you start teaching at Hood College?

I partnered with Hood to develop a National Board Certification candidate support course for FCPS candidates. In the process of working with members of the Department of Education to develop that course, we began talking about a course to support teachers of English learners.

What do you appreciate the most about Hood College? ​

I appreciate the sense of community at Hood. Whether you need directions on campus, guidance selecting coursework, help getting copies, or support for a difficult class, there are faculty and students alike who are there to support you.

I also love how responsive the faculty is to the evolving needs of students. Within the Department of Education, they are continually looking for ways to adapt and refine the course offerings to meet the changing educational field.

What would you like your students to take away from your classes?

My goal is for students to gain strategies and skills that they can apply in their own classrooms. I also work to develop a collaborative community where students support one another and develop an awareness of their strengths. I hope that teachers leave my courses feeling empowered.

Tell us about your experience adapting the EDUC 500 course to be fully online and how you are working to ensure that teachers in the program can support ELLs in the classroom.

Shifting my instruction from a hybrid course to fully online was a difficult but rewarding process. I frequently use manipulatives, flexible grouping, and collaborative group work during my live sessions so all of that had to be adapted.

I was able to utilize Zoom polls and breakout rooms, recreate manipulatives in a digital format, and use other online tools such as Gimkit and Mentimeter to allow for student engagement in a virtual setting.

I model instructional strategies so that my students have a clear sense of how to utilize a variety of scaffolds and techniques in their own classrooms.

Any other relevant or interesting information that you would like to share?

Hood is one of a select few colleges in Maryland to offer a support course for National Board Certification candidates. We currently boast a 90% achievement rate among candidates, which is remarkable.

Inspired by Andrea’s story and ready to #GOFURTHER in your career? Learn about Hood’s graduate programs, including the Curriculum and Instruction program, by clicking here.

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