Meet Colbert Root

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small rural area in western Missouri, right on the Missouri River, an hour east of Kansas City.

What was your first job?

I was a dishwasher at Countryside Family Dining and Bakery, which was a very popular fried chicken place. The bakery was also killer. It was a very wholesome spot.posed that I start teaching Python programming at AIS, and that grew into the current computer science curriculum we have.

What was your favorite subject in school?

In high school, I had a really good math teacher, so I was excited about math at the time. When I started college, I actually majored in industrial engineering before switching to English.

What traits are important for a teacher to have?

Generosity, reliability, and an ability to share joy in other people through the things you’re engaging with. My favorite English teachers have all shared this double connection, both with whatever the material is and with the students encountering the material.

What's your favorite book to teach? 

I teach Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to my 10th-grade classes. It’s a really strong feminist text, and every time I read it, it gets richer.
 

Do you have a favorite Agnes Irwin tradition? 

I don’t sing myself, but I really like any occasion where we get to hear the Bel Cantos sing.

What's your favorite spot on campus? 

The Upper School library is really great. It feels so good in there—it's welcoming. You can do work there, but it doesn't feel stuffy.

What's one piece of advice for every high school student?

High school is about creating the person that you're going to have to live with for the rest of your life, so you should try to be conscious of what you're creating. It’s the Frankenstein problem. 

Do you have a hidden talent? 

No. I have literally one slight capability, and that's teaching English. Well, and I was okay at the dishwashing job.

How does your morning routine look? 

My daughter is in third grade at Agnes Irwin, so we listen to an audiobook as we drive in, then we walk over to the Lower School together. 

What do you think the best part of an all-girls' education is? 

From my perspective, Agnes Irwin is one of the warmest, most affirmative, hard-working educational communities I've ever seen. To get to go to school here is a pretty profound and special opportunity.