Caring, loving and motherly: these are three words that describe Bobbi Jo Tabler, the guidance counselor at Federal Hocking Middle School. If there is a staff member that’s truly being guided by their heart, it’s Tabler. From a young age she knew she wanted to be a mom and decided to be an educator to then be around youth and help care for others.
“Through teaching, I’ve learned that my heart is more with relationships, making connections, talking with students. It (teaching) just felt right.
Teaching is not the only profession Tabler considered. Growing up, she was an avid basketball player and considered Athletic Training as a career option for her post-secondary plans. She was a leader and active as an Alexander high school student. Tabler served as class president during her senior year, was in FFA, was the only female on her school soccer team, and took a Latin class.
“We had Toga parties and I loved that” Tabler said.
Before working at Federal Hocking she was a high school teacher at Tri-county, Miller and Nelsonville. She had the heart for caring and wanted to be motherly but struggled with fertility issues so she went to elementary school education to fill the need to be a mother. Once she fully accepted her situation, a month later she found out she was pregnant.
“I let it go. It did not consume me anymore. I learned that I could be Bobbi Jo and not be a mom. The very next month, I got pregnant.”
Tabler really likes education but also thinks it’s a tough job. As a way to cope, she likes to take breaks. One of her favorite places to travel is the beach because she thinks it’s her place to get all the stress from being overwhelmed. Their favorite vacation spot is Myrtle beach.
Tabler lives with her two kids and husband, Keith. She has two dogs, a rabbit and a handful of farm animals. Her husband works in law enforcement as a cop. You can find Tabler eating ice cream or popcorn, as it is her favorite food. You might also hear her listening to country music.
