学习的遗产

Watching 她的母亲’s late-night studying seamlessly segue into early-morning school sendoffs left an impact on a young Sarah Eidson-劳伦斯, 医师的00. Her mother’s pursuit of further education sent a ripple effect through her family, beginning with 她的母亲’s education degree and going on to inspire Eidson-劳伦斯's studies, 太.

“My mom went back to school to become a teacher while I was still in elementary school,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “作为一个孩子，我很清楚，我看到她克服了这么多. 我真的为她感到骄傲.”

Eidson-劳伦斯’s decision to become a teacher fully solidified when she began studying at 韦德体育app官网, 但这些种子在她的一生中都埋下了. 有着深厚的教育根基, 她依靠一个基础社区来指导她, 包括她的母亲, 一个当过助理警司的叔叔, 几个在教育系统工作的阿姨, 还有学教育的表亲. “Education has always been a conversation around the dinner table,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “这是我们与生俱来的.”

保存的灵感来源于艾德森-劳伦斯, 她的母亲, 她的哥哥同时继续他们的教育, 将他们的学习和支持交织在一起. 她的父亲也为她提供了坚实的支持, instilling a strong work ethic that helped shape her educational endeavors.

Eidson-劳伦斯’s commitment to studying education not only allowed her to chime in during more dinnertime conversations, 但她也开始拓宽自己的根基. 她的课程鼓励她与过去的老师联系, emerging educators and established teachers throughout her immediate community and 奥克兰 County as a whole.

“在上了几堂教育课之后, 我看到了可供我使用的资源,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “The School of Education and Human Resources truly fosters a foundational community of people, 感觉就像在家里一样.” Most of her professors were either former or current teachers in 社区, 让我们对她最终的事业有了更多的了解.

社区连接

She eases open a familiar door as a rush of foundational memories wave over her. 兜了一圈, when Eidson-劳伦斯 was hired at the same elementary school she attended as a child — Simonds Elementary School — she sat down with the superintendent and watched as the rapport now weaved between childhood leadership and a professional connection.

Eidson-劳伦斯’s teaching career spans 24 years in 奥克兰 County, 其中23个在西蒙兹小学. “You build trust and encourage involvement with families over time,” she says. 回到西蒙兹小学, she found her place within 社区 was ever-present: recognizing family names, 与她以前的老师合作, 指导新晋教师.

“I always want to show the importance of [the] school community and that we can reach outside our walls and grow,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “世界各地都有不同的视角可供学习.”

With regular education conference attendance, Eidson-劳伦斯 embodies lifelong learning. 她经常回到OU参加教育活动, mentors OU education students in her classroom and strongly supports the Galileo Institute for Teacher Leadership, 促进新项目发展的组织, organizes school service projects and partners with school districts to conduct research.

学生的成功

“Relationships are key to everything you do,艾德森-劳伦斯说. Her efforts have been highlighted in the thank-yous of families for years. 奥克兰 County also 太k notice in 2023 when she was chosen for Elementary Teacher of the Year.

A high school student in Eidson-劳伦斯’s school district wrote her nomination support letter saying, “夫人. 劳伦斯’s constant positivity kept her classroom feeling exciting, safe and comfortable … Whenever someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, 我回答说，我希望长大后能像她一样. 劳伦斯，”根据兰菲学区的说法.

The 奥克兰 County award is just the most recent of ample recognition that Eidson-劳伦斯 has received. 最有意义的事情来自于最细微的举动.

After a recent slew of educational conferences, Eidson-劳伦斯 returned to her classroom. 但, instead of noticing mounting catch-up work following her absence, 她发现一个学生偷偷溜进她的教室, 用一个拥抱融化了一切. “她真的跳进了我的怀里, 告诉我她有多爱我，多想我,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “那些时刻提醒我，我已经做到了.”

Her career has also been sprinkled with an array of unique gifts, sprung to life from the imaginations of her elementary students. 一个学生给了她几页折成的小册子, a short story narrating the life of Eidson-劳伦斯’s seemingly unnoticeable brown boots. “I have these brown boots; everyone has them, really,” she says. “但是我的学生写了一个关于去商店的故事, 试靴子, 买一双相配的棕色靴子，让自己像奥巴马夫人一样. 劳伦斯. 这是最酷的事情.”

Her lessons often span her students’ adolescence and adulthood. 核心的时刻, 像记得, 简单的棕色靴子就能换来拥抱和认可, 能否成为发展的关键. 晚些时候, 这些学生可以提名她获奖, 回到他们的教室, 甚至不会邀请你参加婚礼. Eidson-劳伦斯 experiences this array of reconnections regularly. Regardless of their appreciation, there’s one element that Eidson-劳伦斯 values the most.

“那些时刻很突出，”她说. “这不是什么花哨或昂贵的东西. There’s no cost at all; it’s actually the ones that are heartfelt that mean the most. 这些就是我记得的.”

合并指导

而二年级的故事有最甜蜜的情感, Eidson-劳伦斯 is also broadening her mentorship beyond her classroom. She emphasizes learning from OU student teachers and emerging Simonds Elementary teachers, 反过来, it’s clear her outlook has left an impression on countless emerging educators.

“We have 13 new teachers at Simonds Elementary,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “My best friend and I are the ‘moms’ — that’s what the new teachers call us.”

Beginning with her family and continuing with formative faculty at OU, inspiration and mentorship have guided Eidson-劳伦斯 to an impactful career. 即使是艾德森-劳伦斯在西蒙兹小学上学的时候, 几张熟悉的面孔向她打招呼, 还有一些对她来说是新的, 包括詹妮弗·薇薇安, 她现在最好的朋友. “我们最初是成对的，专注于社会研究, 我们只是在不同的层面上建立了联系,艾德森-劳伦斯说. “The connection started here with education, and she’s taught me a lot about being a teacher.”

Their bond eventually stemmed from a passion for education into a lifelong friendship, even taking a simultaneous maternity leave as they had their children only three days apart. 虽然他们的关系是艾德森-劳伦斯事业的亮点, she emphasizes “being open to mentorship and growing relationships” whenever possible.

“我喜欢在这里扎根，”艾德森-劳伦斯说. “我了解那里的人, 社区, 的家庭, and those relationships help me and help our school be its best.”