Brent Oberlin says his students are like his family. “They really become my children. I have 24 in there. I have one at home but I have 24 in there,” Oberlin said.
Oberlin moved from Michigan to Bryan County and teaches at Carver Elementary School. He says he enjoys living and working in the area. He added that his administration is very supportive. Oberlin wanted to become a teacher because he had great teachers growing up. While studying to become a teacher in college, Oberlin says it became clear to him that he wanted to teach fourth grade.
“I read a research paper that talked about that kids decide their academic worth before they hit middle school so I wanted to make sure they knew they were worth something before they got there,” Oberlin said.
He teaches his students a little bit of everything but he says math is his favorite.
“Any type of energy is infectious so when I’m positive and I’m happy about math, my kids are normally positive and happy about math. Just making it hands-on for them and getting them interacting with it. Making it more than ‘oh I’m just doing another problem on a piece of paper,” Oberlin said.
Being the only male teacher at Carver Elementary, Oberlin says he’s proud to be that male role model for the students. He says he’s not much of a decorator like the female teachers, but he does enjoy incorporating sports into learning.
“Sports bring a great analogy for school and life. You can connect it. Practice makes perfect and not everything is a home run,” Oberlin said. He says watching his fourth graders learn every day is a grand slam.
“I was just reflecting the other day that the little babies that walked in my door three months ago seem so much older and so much wiser. So different already,” Oberlin said.
December 4, 2023