Joshua Robbins, 39, joined the staff of SFHS in 2019. He teaches sophomore English, both regular and honors. He was born in El Paso, Texas, but has lived in quite a few places.

When he was young, he moved to Raton, N.M., spending eight years there. He said it was nice to live there, especially if you enjoy fishing, camping, or just being outdoors. Later, when he was starting ninth grade, he moved to Springer due to his dad getting a job there. He said living in Springer requires a person to be creative; he made his own fun by running, going camping, and just being outdoors a lot in general.

During his time at Springer High School, he was secretary of the Honor Society, and he ran cross country and long-distance track. He also played basketball in his spare time. 

After high school, Mr. Robbins went to New Mexico State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in curriculum and instruction. He chose this area of study because of his love for books and literature. After he finished college, he lived outside of Denver for about four years. 

He said living in the Denver area had its ups and downs as it was often busy, but there was always something exciting happening. This included going to many baseball and basketball games, to concerts at Red Rocks, and to an event called Frozen Dead Guy Days. This event  celebrates a man who froze himself cryogenically; the three-day celebration “Frosty Fiesta” features live bands in heated tents and food and drink.

At the age of 35, in 2015, Mr. Robbins moved to Santa Fe to be closer to family. He said Santa Fe has a good community and he plans to stay here. 

About Santa Fe High Mr. Robbins said, “I enjoy being on the staff because I like getting to know everyone better every day.” He added, “I hope that students take what we learn in the classroom and apply it to their daily lives.” 

Mr. Robbins said he likes the challenge of teaching: “I like when students get excited about a story.” For example, he has enjoyed teaching short stories such as “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin, and “Fiesta 1980,” by Junot Diaz. 

In his spare time, Mr. Robbins can be found riding his bike or being with his family. Some of his favorite spots to go to are the river trail and rail trail. Two years ago he completed a 50-mile bike ride.

Mr. Robbins and his wife have a young daughter named Ava. He enjoys teaching her to ride her bike. 

He also enjoys attending student games, particularly football and basketball. Of course, his hobbies also extend into reading and writing. Some of his favorite stories are by Denis Johnson. 

He looks forward to seeing his students graduate and seeing them be successful in the future.