M Inspiring Teacher
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“I hope that my students
will remember my love
for science... and that
they are wonderfully
made by a creator.”
Laura:
I
remember feeling the pull toward education as
a career when I was in high school and began
college with the intent to earn a degree in early
childhood education because I loved children and
I remember saying that I would never teach high school
students. God placed me where I thought I wanted to be
just long enough for me to figure out that it was not my
calling. My true place was in the lab…in a high school!
Ultimately I graduated from Francis Marion University with
a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. I began teaching 17 years
ago and have been listening attentively as God reveals a
little more each year about His calling on my life – and I can’t
imagine doing it any differently.
Looking back on my time as a student, there were a
few clues about career choice. At Olanta Elementary
School, my science teacher, Mrs. Frierson, provided much
inspiration. I remember her as not a cuddly teacher, very
strict. But she was dedicated to her students’ learning.
Together we watched the Challenger launch when I was in
5th grade because Mrs. Frierson wanted her class to wit-
ness the first female teacher in space. From there, I attend-
ed East Clarendon Middle School and went on to graduate
from Hudgens Academy High School where I encountered
another inspiration – Mrs. Cooper, a science teacher that
always made her subject matter interesting and fun.
But the teacher that most inspired me was Valerie
Webster, my high school English teacher. Ms. Webster was
very knowledgeable in her subject area and shared her love
for English literature with her students. She nurtured a love
for reading and had a way of building relationships with her
students.
My very first teaching assignment was at my own
high school, Hudgens Academy, where I taught biology,
chemistry, and physics. I spent four years there before the
school closed. The next stop was Carolina Academy for one
year, before moving to The King’s Academy where I current-
ly teach the same subjects. My students are wonderful and
I receive so much joy in their learning. I am so thankful for
the encouraging teachers that I have worked with there.
In addition to inspiration from teachers and students,
I credit my mother for having taught