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6 T HINGS TO KNOW ABOUT Robert Yost Wayne Hills ’ veteran tech teacher leadshis robotics team to new heights
Robert Yost , 59 , found his passion in a classroom . For the last 16 years , he has taught applied technology with a specialty in robotics at Wayne Hills High School . He has led his students to place 48th out of more than 1,000 teams inthe 2018 First Robotics Championship in Detroit . He shares coaching duties with Dax Patel , avolunteer .
1HE GREW UP IN A “ MAKE WITH YOUR HANDS ” ENVIRONMENT . Yost says that his maternal grandfather worked asamason and often built houses and made art . This trait was passed down to his mother , who raised him to value creativity . She often assisted her children in art projects when they were younger , and construction projects when they were older . Yost installed bathrooms in his brother ’ s house last summer , and his mother worked alongside him .
“ Kinda annoying , but nice that an 86-year-old woman had the eye for style and design , and could hand me tiles to speed up the project ,” he says . “ The bathroom projects took two months to complete , and mom was there till the end .”
2YOST OFTENSKETCHES , A SKILL HE USES IN CLASS . “ I think in pictures ,” Yost says . “ Drawing is auniversal language . No matter where you work , what country you go to , people understand pictures .”
WRITTENBYRAFAELA TEIXEIRA
3YOST LIKES TOREFLECT IN A NOTEBOOK . “ I look at every class and Ireflect onwhat went on , what Icould do better , what I need for tomorrow ,” he says . While teaching , he likes to keep aconsistent attitude towards his students — friendly and approachable — prompting him to record his efforts and prepare for the following day .
4HE OFTEN FEELS HE HAS TO ENTERTAIN TO PULL STU- DENTSAWAYFROMTHEIR SMARTPHONES . “ When the iPhone came out , the teenagers changed with it ,” Yost says . “ Everyone is glued to their phones , and it ’ smore important than the things that should be important .” Asateacher of more than 125 students , heunderstands how hard it is to get their attention as advanced technology makes it more shortterm . “ How do you compete with that ? You almost have tojoin in and become anactor and dance on your feet . That ’ s what we do ,” he says .
Yost { far right } with the high-scoring Wayne Hills robotic team .
5HE CREDITS THE DRIVE OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS WITH THE TEAM ’ SSUCESS .
“ Teamwork , trust , vision and selfdetermination were all elements that our students developed on the journey to be good enough to make it to the Worlds ,” says Yost . He and Patel acted as facilitators to assist the students when they needed reassurance or another opinion . “ Without the dedication and sacrifice of the students , we would be nowhere . It ’ s really not about us ,” he says . “ The students could have said they wanted to quit , and we would have had to respect that .”
6YOST WASTHE BESTMAN IN AFORMER STUDENT ’ S WED- DING . He realized that his former student had agrowing talent in the field , and encouraged him to keep his options open when thinking about college . Yost helped develop his student ’ s skill set and became arole model until he successfully entered the workforce as amechani- cal engineer and “ met anice girl ” he decided to marry . Yost says he had agreat time at the wedding . “ That ’ s what ’ ssonice about this job ,” he says . When they come back it ’ s like having your own family — another family of kids .” ■
YOST : COURTESY OF ROBERT YOST ; TEAM : COURTESY OFDAX PATEL
10 BACK TOSCHOOL 2018 WAYNE MAGAZINE