Mrs. Robin Max is not only being called a great addition to Pine Grove, but is up and coming along with the new amenities Pine Grove has to offer. 

 Going back to Pine Grove this new school year new students are not only going to see many new faces teaching at this campus, but they will also notice that the school has been renovated down to the brick. Along with a new school and some new faculty, Max is also interested in introducing a new way of learning to enhance the enjoyment of learning for all students she comes into contact with. 

 “As soon as she walked through the door we knew she was a great fit for Pine Grove” says Mrs. Nicole LaPerriere, former 6th grade teacher and current vice principal. 

When the Triton Voice met with Max for an interview when entering the classroom, it was noticed that everyone had a smile on their face and was ready to learn. 

Coming from a family where she was the last born, Max was inspired by her older sister — who was 20 years older than she. She was a longtime educator here in the district teaching at Newbury Elementary and was successful at doing something she loved. 

After getting an undergraduate degree from Salem State, and a masters from Lesley University, Max settled into the former yellow school in Byfield.

“As a brand new teacher, I was scared to death,” said Max. After working in Byfield for 5-6 years and teaching for a little bit at Newbury Elementary, Max decided to take some time off to spend time with her family and raise her kids. “After some time, I decided to throw my hat back inside the ring, says Max. 

 “When I was on the interview committee and I met Mrs. Max, she instantly cracked me up and from then on, I knew she was the right fit,” says John Collyer, current 6th grade teacher. When the Triton Voice was interviewing fellow staff about Mrs. Max, it was noticed that they all had a tendency to mention how Max was willing to teach to students’ individual learning styles. 

Teaching to the students standard is crucial for being a successful teacher that influences generations of kids cycling through the classroom. According to studies, “when students are given more options on how they can learn material, they take on more responsibility for their own learning” according to a study done at Concordia University in Portland. According to Max’s fellow staff members, she is on the path to nailing it. “If students tell me certain items they might need to elevate learning capability, and its reasonable, they will have it” said Max. 

With the new amenities Pine Grove has to offer due to the recent renovation, students had been introduced to new materials to help enhance learning capability such as new rocking chairs, new Smart TV’s that are interactive, and new Smartboards, which immerse the students in both fun and new creative ways of learning. Along with amenities offered due to the new school renovation, teachers such as Max go as far as bringing items from home that will help enhance students’ learning capability that will drive them to have the highest potential of success. “I bring in items sometimes such as special pencils,” says Max. 

Keeping students personal learning styles in check is a top priority when it comes to being a successful teacher, and having Max as a teacher, you will never go wrong with covering certain material in a boring manner. “Learning shouldn’t always be approached by textbooks,” says Max. Singing certain lessons or ways on how to approach something tends to be Max’s strong point. “Students would find it funny if I created a Youtube channel, it would never happen, but this shows they are comfortable with me,” says Max.

After the Triton Voice met with Max and heard stories of her memories at Pine Grove, Max told the interviewers that she sees herself in the next 5 years “pushing forward and being the best I can be.” This can be through her hobbies such as cooking, and her teaching career. “The minute I walked through the door to Pine Grove I knew their was a community and their was a culture here,” says Max. Max calls the beginning to her new teaching career a new spark in her system.

Going back to elementary school has taken Max back to great happiness. “I feel like a kid again and I’m excited to be back at school,” says Max.