For some students, going to class is enough. Raven Butler, however, aims to reimagine the classroom.
The Paducah, Kentucky, native is committed to fostering service-driven leaders. As an elementary education major set to graduate in May, Butler has been pushing fourth and fifth graders all around Tuscaloosa County to succeed in math.
Butler’s journey to UA was influenced by her three older brothers, who were all accepted into the Robert E. Witt University Fellows program, alongside her deep desire to make a difference. She immediately felt comfortable while touring UA’s campus.
“It just felt right. It was like a home away from home,” she said.
Originally pursuing a chemistry major, Butler quickly realized that her true passion is teaching.
“I’ve always loved school and had considered being a chemistry teacher, especially after having such a great high school chemistry teacher,” she said.
After volunteering through Engage Tuscaloosa to tutor middle school students in math and elementary school students in reading, Butler found herself drawn to teaching as a career.
“The times I spent tutoring were the moments I looked forward to most,” she said, “I realized that teaching was what I was meant to do. This is my calling.”
Inspired by this experience, Butler started her own tutoring program for fourth and fifth graders.
“I am so passionate about the work I do with Engage Tuscaloosa. It has completely changed the trajectory of my career,” she said.
I hope everyone I’ve worked with, whether it’s an 8-year-old or a professor, knows that I genuinely care about them. I’m always there to help and show up for people when they need me.
Raven’s proudest accomplishment is the creation of the Mathtastic Junior program, which she developed for elementary schools. There is an existing Mathtastic program for middle school students, but her goal was to create something similar for younger students in order to build a critical foundation. Through this program, Raven not only tutors fourth and fifth graders but also trains other students to fill her role.
“I’ve put a lot of hours into this, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see it grow from the ground up,” she added.
Between school, her internship with the Witt Fellows office, student-teaching and her leadership, Butler works a 40-hour week. She is solely responsible for managing volunteers, planning the curriculum and ensuring the program’s impact continues to grow after she graduates.
Her work has taught her the value of clear communication, especially in a management role.
“Communication is key. I work with a wide variety of people, from teachers and school principals to my fellow volunteers,” she explained, “It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page, especially when addressing specific academic standards for different grade levels.”
Vicki Holt, coordinator of Engage Tuscaloosa in the UA Honors College, has worked with Butler for years.
“Raven has been a wonderful addition to the Engage Tuscaloosa team…It takes quite a bit of time and effort to design a curriculum, work out all the details, write each lesson, order materials, train volunteers, and monitor the progress of the program,” she said. “Raven has done this in her spare time, giving an enormous amount of volunteer time and effort on top of the workload of the elementary education program she is in.”
Raven’s passion for education shines through not only in her tutoring work but also in her classroom experiences. During her student-teaching placement, she quickly formed strong relationships with her students, particularly one young girl.
The student was initially shy and quiet. Because the school does not have a music program, Butler tries to incorporate music wherever she can. Butler brought a speaker in and asked second graders for requests, which led to playing TikTok’s latest hits.
“[The student] used to walk in circles around the playground during recess… After I brought in a speaker and played music, she came over and showed me all the TikTok dances she knew. Now, she eats lunch with me, and my teacher says she never stops talking!” Raven recalled.
“Seeing that transformation in her, knowing I played a part in it, is something I’ll always treasure.”
Pushing the boundaries of traditional teaching methods is another one of Butler’s passions. Outside of the classroom, Butler works with Dr. Amanda Cramer, clinical assistant professor in UA’s College of Education, to examine how preservice teachers can use generative AI to enhance lesson planning and creativity.
Already, the researchers have completed a literature review to see what research is out there for AI in lesson planning in the classroom. Then, they created a survey and online module that was implemented in two UA classes and a class at UAB. Their goal is to create a prompting guide for teachers to use ChatGPT to create complete educational lesson plans with built-in student interactions.
As Butler prepares to present her senior capstone project at the International Society for Technology in Education conference in San Antonio this summer, she continues to balance her academics, volunteer work and student-teaching responsibilities with dedication.
Butler’s legacy at The University of Alabama is defined by her commitment to service.
“I hope everyone I’ve worked with, whether it’s an 8-year-old or a professor, knows that I genuinely care about them. I’m always there to help and show up for people when they need me,” she said.
With her boundless energy and passion for teaching, Butler is on her way to leaving a lasting impact on the field of education.