Walking into the robotics class, students are greeted by the constant click-clack of keyboards and the mechanic whirs of a robot prototype, with Mr. Rodelio Creer standing at the heart of the action, eager to work alongside his students in expressing their collective passion for the field. Robotics teacher Mr. Creer looks forward to working with the robotics team this upcoming season, and sharing his love for technical skills with more of the student body. 

As a computer science graduate with a masters degree in information technology management, Mr. Creer first fell in love with teaching when he decided to try his hand at being a physics teacher after coming back from serving in the Air Force. 

“I fell in love with teaching [then], and [my first students] became my friends afterwards,”

Mr. Creer said. “They’re still in contact with me.”

Mr. Creer’s love for watching students obtain more knowledge led to his desire to continue pursuing a position in the education industry. In an effort to diversify his teaching experiences, Mr. Creer ventured to find a subject area that aligned more with his personal interests, eventually settling on robotics.

“[Robotics students] are very eager to learn,” Mr. Creer said. “I’m a little challenged on higher robotics, and I’m hoping to somehow exceed [the students’] expectations on the things that I’m trying to prepare for them.”

With prior experience in teaching the concepts and practical applications of robotics to his son, Mr. Creer looks forward to using that knowledge to help the robotics team achieve higher-level awards and achievements.

“[The thing] I’m actually most excited for are [the] robots [we’re going to create], because [I’m eager to see] bigger robots [being made],” Mr. Creer said. “I’ve seen these robots before because my son used to compete in the same kind of competition.”

His experience with the robotics teams so far has been positive, with both parties learning and growing with the help of each other.

“I like seeing how kids become so creative with their robots,” Mr. Creer said. “Just doing it with the kids, and then having them compete and having them win. It gives you some sort of satisfaction and fulfillment.”

Outside of his time at school, Mr. Creer also runs his own company, Leadership Training Academy, using his online degree from Harvard Business School to help professional business coaches devise strategies to communicate with their corporate team more effectively.

“I train corporate people to become better communicators. You learn who you are [and] how you communicate [through my business],” Mr. Creer said. “This type of training improves the dynamics of a corporation, which improves productivity.” 

Translating his love for productivity to his positive outlook towards the Westwood community, Mr. Creer is impressed with not only the self-management skills of Westwood students, but also their ingenuity and spirit. He is excited to engage with the diverse student body in an effort to continue exploring and interacting with his new surroundings.

“The students in Westwood are really amazing,” Mr. Creer said. “I would say that [they’re] all invested in their studies [and are extremely] focused.”