Asbury Educator of the Month: Robin Featheringill

When you’re promoting a good product, there’s nothing wrong with a little salesmanship – even in the field of public education.

That philosophy has worked for Robin Featheringill, a math teacher and coordinator of the pre-engineering program at Leestown Middle.

A six-year veteran at Leestown, Featheringill was convinced she could double the pre-engineering program when she was named coordinator three years ago. At the time, the program had 75 students in three grades. This year, 180 are enrolled in the STEM-based program that features hands-on, project-based learning with an interdisciplinary curriculum. She leads a team of six teachers who worked all summer to coordinate the program across all subjects.

Interview with Robin Featheringill: Part 1

Interview with Robin Featheringill: Part 2

Along with science, technology, engineering and math, the program also incorporates the arts, including digital art, coding and robotics. Students make movies, compose music, and create web pages and podcasts among other projects.

The program has room for sixth graders (who qualify as fifth graders) from outside the Leestown attendance area, so Featheringill, a former realtor, put her marketing skills to use. She produced and distributed brochures about the program, attended open houses at other schools and hosted program tours at Leestown. Applications soared. This year more than 200 students applied to the program.

“Robin is very innovative and organized,” Principal Joe Gibson said. “To make the program work, she developed a completely new schedule to accommodate the program. She works very hard, has complete control of the classroom and kids love her.”

In fact, students call her Mama Bear.

“They know I’m tough and have high expectations, but I also give them a lot and show them I care;’ said Featheringill, who nearly missed out on an education career. Three years into college, she dropped out to start a real estate company with her sister – Sold Sisters. She meant to resume her education but business was booming. Seven years later, she finished her degree.

“I always wanted to be a teacher and it’s hard not to fall in love with this school,” she said. “We have a culture of respect called the Leestown Way. If a student drops a notebook in the hall, four kids are there to help pick it up. I love being a part of that.”