Robotics is a class many love, the teacher and the class itself are very fun. Ariana, Jaden and Shael shared why they like the class and love the teacher saying she is fun as well as building and coding for robots.

Tanisha Ellerbe, a dedicated STEM teacher, found her passion for Robotics somewhat unexpectedly. Initially a computer science teacher, she stepped into the role of robotics instructor when some  teachers at her middle school left, and the school needed someone to fill the gap. “I agreed to it and enjoyed it”, highlighting her enthusiasm for the subject. Over the years, she has taken her students to various competitions, fostering their skills and love for robotics. This year marks her seventh year teaching robotics, and she is excited about the future. Tanisha confirmed that she plans to continue teaching robotics at a new school next year. 

Shael, an eleventh-grade student shared insights about her robotics class. Shael noted that her interest in STEM has motivated her to dive deeper into this field. Although she mentioned that she is currently only participating in school robotics, she is optimistic about the potential for future opportunities in STEM. Shael explained that the class primarily focuses on building robots and programming them to perform tasks. “We do different coding, like having the robots pick up blocks,” she said. The students are currently learning how to code various functions into their robots. Using a controller similar to an Xbox to control the robots, students input specific codes from their laptops to direct their robots.

“The class is dope,” she exclaimed, encouraging students to consider joining if they enjoy coding. Despite acknowledging that they won’t have “The dopest teacher in the school.”

Jaden, a sophomore, is in robotics l and is considering taking robotics ll his junior year. He expresses excitement about the class, describing it as “low key fun.” He rates his teacher and class highly, giving his teacher a perfect score of 10. Jaden enjoys the work in the class, also rating it a 10. In robotics, students get hands-on experience building robots, which Jaden finds particularly enjoyable. He mentions that they race robots across a designated area, noting the importance of plugging them in and using a controller. Last week, jaden’s class went on a field trip, and he encourages students to attend robotics highlighting her engaging teaching. 

Ariana, a tenth-grade student taking robotics l, expressed that she enjoys the class, having taken it before. “Honestly, I think it was just like kind of a fun elective to pick out of all of them,” she said, highlighting the atmosphere where students can build and create. Ariana mentioned that while she doesn’t engage in robotics outside of school, the skills she learns, like wiring and building, do have some overlap with her outside interests. “I guess wiring and building kind of is outside of school,” she noted. She explained that students primarily focus on coding for robots and building them to perform tasks, such as picking up blocks. “It’s pretty cool to build stuff like that,” she added.

Ariana also praised her teacher, saying, “i love Ms. Ellerbe. Shes’s like my favorite. She gives good vibes.” Her positive experience in the Class is largely due to Ms. Ellerbe’s approachable teaching style.

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Aryanna Soto