Roslynn Rayford

Diversity Personified

Fun Facts:

"The challenge to our way of life, we have to meet that head on. Military members, all of us – officers and enlisted swear that we will defend and support the constitution of the United States from enemies foreign and domestic," Rayford said. "When you swear to do that or give a promise that you will do that, when called you go and do it.

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Born on April 14, 1969 and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her mom, dad and brother still live there.

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"I think Ms. Rayford is a great teacher you should meet because she’s really accurate at her work, she’s fast, she’s bright and everything and she’s just an excellent teacher," Katie, 8th grade student, said.

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"This is my sixth year teaching. I started in the district in 1998. Taft for my first year, then came to Belle Isle for my second year," Rayford said.

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What motivates Rayford to get up in the morning?
“Just living life. I’ve done a lot in the past 13 years, since I left Detroit. In part, I am motivated by accomplishment and achievement.  I like to set goals and achieve those goals. Next year, I am participating in National Certification.  That’s a goal I’ve set for myself. I hope I achieve it, it’s pretty tough.

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Rayford is known for telling the kids “please, please, please, stop the foolishness.” Now, the teachers at Belle Isle say it too - partially teasing Rayford and more so meaning it.

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If Rayford had a theme song it would be The Greatest Love of All or the National Anthem sung by Whitney Houston.

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Favorite Quote:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge” by Albert Einstein

"I want kids be creative in mathematics. I don’t want them to be human calculators, that’s helpful and good that they can calculate but I want them to be able to solve problems and think outside the box," Rayford said.

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Her favorite books are Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel; Inferno by Dante Alighieri; and The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morris

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Her hobbies are ice skating and roller skating.

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She graduated from Cass Technical High School; University of Oklahoma. with a Liberal Studies degree, and  from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Masters in Education, Mathematics.

This month's You Gotta Meet This Person created quite a problem for me. I didn't know whether to begin with her teaching, her martial arts, her job as a reservist or just to start off saying "WOW."

Roslynn Rayford is a National Board Certified eighth grade math teacher, teaching algebra and geometry for high school credit, and pre-algebra at Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School. Principal Lynn Kellert describes her as "the voice of wisdom at Belle Isle."

"Ms. Rayford is, to me, probably the most outstanding teacher I’ve ever worked with in my career. She is a leader in the school and dedicated to teaching and her students.

"She is one of two teachers I asked to come with me when I moved to Belle Isle and she’s been part of the backbone of what’s built this school." 

“I think that this (teaching)  is the gift God gave me. I really do," Rayford said. "Everybody has a gift and I really think this is it."

"Truly, my favorite part about teaching is when I see a child get it. I can tell, I can see the puzzled look. They will say, “I don’t get this portion of it” and I’ll go back through it again, then they get it. That really makes my day – this job may not pay very much but I tell you that makes up for the pay.

Johneshia, one of Rayford's students said, "She is a very bright teacher, she knows what she’s doing. She’s a little fast here and there but she is a really good teacher. She believes in everything she does, she’s very fun actually – she’s nice too. Her class is never boring and she tries to help you."

"You know you’ve worked so hard to get mathematics across, it’s not an easy discipline to teach," Rayford said. "and when the children actually get it and I see the light bulbs going on, on top of their heads that really makes my day. That’s the purpose of life. At least, that’s the way I was raised, to serve others and make a difference."

Besides her commitment to her students, she is also committed to this country. Rayford is a Captain in the Air Force Reserves. Her position with the Reserves is Acting Chief of Military Equal Opportunity.

"Being a citizen airman, yeah, you’re trying to balance your civilian job and your reservist job," Rayford said. "Because my civilian job is so special, not that anyone else’s is not, but teaching is like a gift to humanity, definitely a gift to this country. Sometimes I feel conflicted having a possibility in leaving the children. I wonder who would teach them.

"It was the best decision of my life. The military helped me to focus and because of that I decided, even though teaching, I wouldn’t quit. I truly love the Air Force and I love the military way of life. It was the best decision I made and the turning point in my life."

"As a reservist, a military member, I know that without us there would be no defense of our country, so at the end of the day that ultimately becomes our priority.  Without it we possibly wouldn’t have schools to teach in, places to live – really our way of life – that’s the key thing, especially with what’s going on now.

About the possibility of Rayford being called up for active duty, Kellert said "We've been especially grateful to have her for every day that we’ve had her this year and concerned about if she’s able to finish the year or is she going to be sent over seas. That makes her a little more special this year."

Now, I know all of you are wondering when I am going to get to the martial arts  part of her story. She tells of her mother keeping her brother and she involved in martial arts to keep them active in productive things when she was young.

This is not necessarily a military thing but more of a personal thing. "As old as I am, I started a new (martial) art, Wing Chun. When I tell people that, they have a crazy look on their face because they’re surprised," Rayford said laughing. "It’s Chinese and it's an art that is close combat fighting style. Very, very beautiful art – the forms are beautiful, very fluid style, which is different from what I studied as a kid."

Rayford uses her experience and training in martial arts with her students. "Before a test I will have the students get up and I have them stretch. Stretch their arms up to the ceiling, stretch them out wide and then take deep breaths, breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out," Rayford said. "Especially before the big state tests, so that they can relax and not focus on being nervous about a test. I think it works for them, they seem to get right into the exam."

When you ask her about a favorite memory as a teacher, she reflects a moment and smiles. She spoke about a student who really struggled in seventh grade math and how in eighth grade math she just got it.

"One Christmas, she sent me a card that stated “you didn’t give up on me. You knew I could do it. Math is not my favorite subject but by the end I liked math and I really learned.” She had stated that she was doing well at her new school and that really touched me," Rayford said.

One of the funnier moments came in her first year of teaching. "A lot of times teachers get gifts, especially in middle schools, at special times or the holidays. I had one child give me a ceramic bird. I just looked at this bird and I said to myself “Oh Lord, where am I going to put this” but I accepted that ceramic bird like it was the best thing since sliced bread because this child brought it.

"That was pretty memorable because I know the look on my face was “oh, where am I going to put this?” I do still have that ceramic bird to this day. I tell you, you should see it. Bless his heart," Rayford said.

Every month, I ask "What’s the most interesting place you’ve lived?" for the Fun Facts section but this month, I am not going to just give her answer but this time, her reason why.

“It’s hard to say because I’ve lived briefly all over the country. I would have to say Oklahoma really. This is probably the most different place. People here are extremely friendly and they’re very friendly to military.  I found that kind of breath taking because that’s not the way it is all over the country but it is here," Rayford said.

I, as a true Okie, hereby declare that Roslynn Rayford be made an honorary Okie -  she is definitely Someone You Gotta Meet!

Tell us what you think!