In May, the Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation (MEEF), at their annual Gala, selected Stefan Lawrence of G. W. Carver High School as the 2016 MCSD Teacher of the Year. Lawrence was chosen from among 56 Teacher of the Year Honorees (TOTY) as the most outstanding representative of the teaching profession in the Muscogee County School District. 

We recently sat down with Lawrence, an English teacher, AP Director and basketball coach at Carver, to talk about what being Teacher of the Year means to him and how he plans to use this platform over the next twelve months.  

Q. This is all still fairly new (and I imagine a bit overwhelming) but what has been your experience so far as the MCSD Teacher of the Year? What were people’s reactions? You become a bit of a celebrity with your face on billboards, full-page newspaper ads, etc. 

The outpouring of community support has been very humbling! My friends and family have responded using humor primarily. They will make snide remarks such as calling me ‘superstar’ or asking how I fooled so many people. However, they talk about it and broadcast it more than I do. Teachers don’t enter the profession for awards and accolades so all this attention has been quite the experience. I am used to children wanting to hear what I have to say, but the number of adults who approach me for my opinion now has been both surprising and flattering.

Q. When did you know you wanted to become a teacher? 

I knew I wanted to become a teacher from the moment I stepped into the classroom of Mrs. Diana Allen at Shaw High School for student teaching. I was a 22-year-old senior at Columbus State in 2009 and in the semester I spent at Shaw I developed a bond with many of those kids that I continue to this day. They were true students who showed me the good, the bad and the ugly of education. Mrs. Allen did a great job of grooming me and I walked into Carver with a lot of confidence. 

Q. What is the most fulfilling part of teaching? What is the most difficult part? 

The most fulfilling part about education is the transformation that you see in a child over their time with you and their time at the school. That is what I live for, to see growth and progress in all people but especially my students. 

The most difficult part of teaching is what I referred to earlier as the ‘ugly.’ So many of the students that I teach are born into situations that are less than ideal. It is heart wrenching to see a youth, that you know has boundless potential, succumb to these extenuating circumstances and underachieve.

Q. It has been noted that you are constantly pushing your students to delve deeper into the material, examine the story, use their minds to think and reflect, and to be smart in all their choices. What is the most important thing you hope your students take with them when they leave your classroom? 

I hope they take away with them an awareness. An awareness of who they are and where they ultimately see themselves. I want them to be aware of the systems that are at play that could potentially hinder their progress towards their goals. I want them to be able to navigate these systems and to have a mindset of a servant leader. I want my students to feel obligated to re-invest their time, efforts, and talents back into their community! Schools are social engines for change I want to produce powerful citizens that will impact this world positively. And I want them to take pride in knowing that they are the change.

Q. You have the opportunity to speak to some very influential local business and community leaders, people not directly related to the field of education. What is the message you want to communicate to them (and the community as a whole) as Teacher of the Year? 

My message really focuses on the last 5 letters of commUNITY. Columbus and the surrounding area must function as a unified front or the repercussions are felt by all. Schools must be open to the influence of the community and must learn to lean on local entities for not only the financial needs (which are important) but for the manpower needs. Students must know that community is invested in them and that they are indeed a part of that community. Community leaders must make investing in our children as much of a priority as turning a profit. It is paramount that our children see their leaders adopt this communitarian approach. 

Famed researcher Alfred Bandura’s Social Cognition Theory states that our most meaningful learning comes from what we observe through social interactions, experiences and media influences. As a community we have a chance to be these influences and experiences for our children. The power that can be held in the moment that a young girl who loves to act and sing is given lessons at the Springer, or when a CEO of a local business takes time to be interviewed by a high school business class, or pre-boot camp for those interested in the military by Fort Benning soldiers, or a college success seminar for high school seniors headed by current Columbus State University students. The possibilities are endless and this is the most beautiful thing about community, it provides us an opportunity to create learning for each other. We learn more about each other, grow closer, and in doing so we move Columbus toward a brighter tomorrow.

The Muscogee Educational Excellence Foundation (MEEF) is dedicated to fostering excellence in education in the MCSD. The Foundation’s main programs are the Teacher of the Year, the Harvard Fellows, Project Zero Perspectives and the teacher grant program. In its nineteen-year history, the Foundation has awarded over $2.1 million to recognize and reward outstanding and innovative teachers in the Muscogee County School District.