Sarah Taraba is a kindergarten teacher at Sunset Terrace Elementary. Sarah is a former RPS student who attended Sunset Terrace Elementary, John Adams Middle School, and John Marshall High School.
Why did you choose to work at RPS after attending RPS?
I remember coming to Sunset Terrace as a young girl and loving every single minute of it. I was always excited to go to school and have fun. I think back now, as a teacher myself, and have to thank my amazing teachers that made my elementary school life as fun, exciting and adventurous as it was. It was because of them, I learned to fall in love with learning and really was able to grow into the person that I am today. They let me learn, grow, struggle, and figure out how to do challenging things, all while having fun. Those teachers changed my world one day at a time. As I got older, I discovered this passion of wanting to that very same thing for students of my own. I had this drive to make a student's day fun and exciting all while giving them love and support in order for them to grow up to be the person that they were always meant to be. I came back to Sunset Terrace simply because that's where I feel in love with school and I wanted to bring that love back for others.
What is your favorite part of your RPS job?
Bringing joy into the classroom. Having the ability to create projects, experiments, and different experiences for the students that are new and exciting is one of the many favorite parts of the job. This job gives me the opportunity to make a change and to make a difference; even if that change and/or difference is small and simple like bringing joy into my students' day. I am only one person and don't have the power to change the world; but, I do have the power to hopefully change at least one student's world at a time.
What is a challenging part of your RPS job?
Knowing that I am only one person and that I can't fix every problem that falls into my lap with my students at school. These students in RPS are amazing and resilient and sometimes come to school needing more help than I can provide on my own. That's why RPS is great; because the groups of teachers, social workers, school counselors, mental health practitioners and admin all come together to make sure that every single student is getting the support that they need. When we come together, big changes can be made, great things can happen and students can be successful!
What aspect of RPS are you happy to see hasn’t changed since you were a student?
The amount of care that all teachers have for their students hasn't changed one bit. Every single teacher here is working so hard to make sure that all of their students' needs are met and that they are able to provide their students with a warm, happy and welcoming environment here at school.
Who was an RPS teacher that had a positive impact on you and why?
All of them! But a special few are: Jill Ryan, Becky Greseth, Beth Jungles, Shane Hewitt and Tim Strain. All of my teachers were able to help me and made such a great impact while I was in school. The ones listed above of some that simply stand out in my mind for really making me feel welcomed and valued at school.
What about your RPS education would you attribute to getting you to where you are currently?
I am where I am today due to those teachers who taught with their heart and displayed their love to their students. I had amazing teachers that supported me every single step of the way; from kindergarten all the way through high school. The dedication, the love, and the support that my teachers gave me in my RPS education are a few of the many reasons on why I am a teacher today; they simply inspired me.