By Claiborne Dillard

Christina Dobson, a Collegiate coach and former Middle School PE teacher, is now the newest member of the Upper School English department. She began her teaching career 11 years ago. First, Dobson began teaching high school English and coached girls varsity lacrosse at Centerville High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, for a total of four years. She then moved to Richmond in 2015 and continued teaching high school English at Atlee High School, along with coaching girls varsity lacrosse again. While at Atlee, Dobson successfully created a writing center as an elective in her last two years of teaching. Three years ago, Dobson made the decision to start working at Collegiate. She also began coaching the girls varsity lacrosse team two years ago and helped the team win an LIS championship and become the runner-up in the VISAA tournament in the spring of 2021.

Dobson with her husband and two kids. Photo credit: Christina Dobson.

She started off as a Middle School PE teacher and this year transitioned back into the English department, which is what she is truly passionate about. She believes that “it is great, especially for teachers, to get out of their comfort zone a little bit. Being in Middle School PE was definitely something new to me, but I really appreciate that experience because I think it made me a better communicator and helped me gain more perspective.” 

Also, Dobson mentions that because she taught in Middle School, she knows several of her 9th and 10th Grade students, which “adds another comfort level of knowing everyone and already having a rapport with them.” Also, she includes that when she began teaching in the Upper School, she enjoyed seeing all of the people she knew from Middle School in a new environment. Dobson states, “How a student acts in 8th grade in PE and how they act in my Upper School English classroom when we’re going over Macbeth are two very different environments.” 

Dobson claims English and writing have always been her best subjects and came pretty naturally to her, unlike math and science. She considers herself an avid reader and “always finds it to be my escape” from all of the stressful things around her. In the English classroom, Dobson enjoys that the environment “offers students an opportunity to let their voice be heard and to develop their own voice.” Many students think they are simply terrible at writing, so Dobson finds satisfaction in “helping students find the type of writing that is their strength.” Dobson brings debate and seminars into the classroom so students can feel comfortable and confident in their opinions through discussion instead of only through writing. If students have a more comfortable way to express their opinion, Dobson can get to know those students better than words on paper.

With regard to her transition from Middle to Upper School, Dobson stated, “I think the Upper Schoolers have a lot more trust to take ownership of their educational experience.” In Upper School, students are more proactive with teachers, have more responsibilities, and need to adapt organization skills, but they have more freedom when making decisions and have to manage time on their own. In Middle School, “you’re still learning so many of those skills, so it takes a lot of teacher involvement.” In general, Dobson most appreciates “the banter and dialogue with high schoolers and teaching them how to be an adult.” Maturity plays a significant role in why Dobson values teaching in the Upper School.

Along with the difference in Upper and Middle School, Dobson discussed the changes from public to private school. She claims, “There is definitely another level of expectation and rigor. There’s also the Honor Code that the students sign and, in general, a big focus on respect and responsibility.” She loves the community aspect that Collegiate offers, including help from parents, alumni, and students. The other schools she’s worked at “have had great traditions, but not anything like Collegiate, which has long-standing traditions that the entire community is involved in.” The major difference that Dobson declares many teachers would agree with is class size. With such sizable classes, “it just becomes hard to really get to know your students and feel like you are giving them the attention they need and deserve.” The smaller class size makes an immense difference in creating relationships with each student. 

Dobson coaching while her son cheers for her on her birthday. Photo credit: Christina Dobson.

Outside of the classroom, Dobson has a true passion for lacrosse. She played D1 lacrosse at Virginia Tech and has been coaching in and outside of school for years. With her third child on the way, some students thought she might be taking a season off from coaching this upcoming spring, but Dobson was glad to share that she will still be coaching, even while on maternity leave. But she and her husband will need lots of help from family and others. 

In past years, Dobson has brought her children, mostly her oldest, Teddy, to play with the girls on the lacrosse team after practices. One of Dobson’s high school coaches brought her kids to practice to play with the players, so Dobson wanted to carry that aspect along to her team. She thinks “bringing the family atmosphere to our team is important for everyone to see.” Dobson and her husband were both raised in an environment with their parents as coaches, so they love showing their own children how they grew up and showing the players another main part of their life.