RADFORD, Va.- – This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and the National Teacher of the Year is making stops in southwest Virginia.
Rodney Robinson, a social studies teacher from Richmond, visited with teachers and students at Belle Heth Elementary School in Radford.
Robinson, who has been a teacher for 19 years, helped his students in the juvenile detention center overcome adversity.
He said he's enjoying learning initiatives from across the commonwealth that he can take back to his classroom.
"I'm seeing a lot of tech, a lot of STEM especially in this part of southwestern Virginia, how STEM is really revolutionizes farming and different techniques and strategies. So it's another opportunity for my kids to say 'Hey, you can do this,' or work with coding to run a farm one day. It's really opened my eyes to the future," said Robinson.
Robinson also met Tuesday with recent graduates at Radford University.