Sometimes, you have to wonder when Robin Eder gets the time to breathe
WHEN DOES SHE SIT DOWN? — NRHEG Schools Student Success Coordinator Robin Eder doesn’t sit much in school, helping with a wide variety of tasks. (Star Eagle photo by Nicole Billing)
By MARK DOMEIER
Contributing Writer
Teachers matter. Good teachers make a difference. Exceptional teachers impact lives for years after graduation.
NRHEG has been fortunate to have one of those exceptional teachers for over two decades in Robin Eder. Eder has taught middle school and high school special education, and this past year she shifted to the newly-created Student Success Coordinator position in the secondary school.
Initially thinking that she wanted to be a math teacher when she started at St. Cloud State University, Eder soon shifted to special education. She hearkened back to some experiences helping on the playground in elementary school with special needs students. That had stuck with her over the years and helped her make the decision that she wanted to work with those students all the time.
“I love the fact that I am able to get to know many of the parents as well as the students and try to understand what is going on in their lives, which makes an impact on how they function at school,” Eder commented. That has translated into her role as SSC too. She’s not hesitant to pick up the phone and touch base with parents of any students in 6-12 that are having some struggles academically or behaviorally.
It was not an easy decision to move from the classroom to the WIN (What I Need) Room. Eder loved being in special education, working with small classes, going into other teacher’s classrooms, and really getting to know those students. “Some of my proudest moments are watching ‘my’ students walk across the stage and receive their high school diploma. I know that they have worked extremely hard and now have something that no one can take away from them,” she said while reflecting on her proudest moments. Now, however, she’ll have a larger group of kids of whom to be proud.
Eder doesn’t sit still in school much. She has the WIN room and a room in the central office in New Richland, but she’s constantly on the move, helping with homework at lunch, responding to emergencies, and stopping to see how students are doing in different classes. The SSC position is giving her a chance to get to know more students, especially while looking for positive moments to celebrate.
Sometimes one has to wonder when Eder has time to breathe. At school, she’s a member of the PBIS team, is co-president of the band boosters, and is the president of Education Minnesota-NRHEG, the teacher’s union. Outside of school, she is a member of Community Lutheran Church in Geneva, where she has been a past member of the church council, WELCA group, a Sunday School teacher, confirmation teacher, and chaperone on youth mission trips to Arkansas and Wyoming. All of these positions have given her numerous opportunities to make a difference.
Eder lives in Geneva with her husband, Brad, and daughters, Liz and Emily. Liz is attending Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato and participates in the drama department plays there. Emily is a junior at NRHEG, and you’ll often see Eder at a volleyball or basketball game, not only watching her daughter, but also keeping the official book for the team.
When she has free time, which seems rare for someone so active, Eder enjoys camping, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Her family has a spot at a campground, where they spend as much time as possible in the summer.
When you think about people who matter in our area, Robin Eder definitely has to be counted. There are numerous former students who count her as that special teacher who helped steer them in the right direction. Special education teachers invest so much time in their students, trying to find solutions that work for the many individual learning difficulties, and when success is found, it truly is a special moment.
Eder continues to matter as the Student Success Coordinator. “I have the best of both worlds – I am able to see (my special education students) and I am able to get to know many other students too,” she mentioned. What that means is there are even more students who will be able to claim Robin Eder as a person who matters, both in their lives and in our NRHEG communities.