Maine DOE team member Jen Robitaille is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Jen in the question and answer below.
What are your roles with DOE?
I am the Elementary Mathematics Specialist and Cumberland County Regional Rep and I am part of the Early Learning Team. I work to design and deliver professional learning to the field in the area of mathematics as well as support assessment, standards, and best practices in elementary mathematics. Most recently I have been working on delivering a virtual professional learning math series specific for ed techs and managing a group of grade 2 teachers working on the CL4ME module project.
What do you like best about your job?
The aspect of my job that I like best is being able to share new learning opportunities with educators around the state. Educators in different parts of the state have had a variety of different opportunities to engage in mathematics professional learning, so being able to offer some consistency in best practices and math resources is a highlight of my work.
How or why did you decide on this career?
After working in the local elementary school for 16 years (classroom teacher, title 1 math specialist, and math coach) and continuing to push into more leadership roles, this seemed like the natural progression of my work in the area of mathematics. I feel that I have a lot to offer to mathematics teaching and learning and I enjoy being able to share with others.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family; I have a young niece and nephew that I am very close with. I also enjoy camping, taking the time to relax, and making personalized crafts with my Cricut machine.