Lawrence Washington, the administrator of a K-12 school district, is the kind of leader you may have wished you had at your school back in the day. Watching as he walks through the halls and into his office, you get the sense that there really isn’t much that could happen at a school that would faze him. “That’s probably true!” he says, laughing at the idea. “I’ve been an educator in some form since 1995, when I got my master’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and supervision and then became an English teacher, so over the years, I have definitely seen a lot.”

Pressed for an example, he pauses to think, then laughs again. “I have seen my fair share of arguments and paper airplanes, and I have had to ride the rollercoaster that is a teenager’s hormones. As a teacher, I celebrated with my students when they did well and was there for them when they were upset over family problems. The classroom is quite a place.”

Eventually, Lawrence left the classroom to become the Dean of Students. “That was a big step up and very exciting,” he recalls. “It was what I wanted, however. I really wanted to become part of the administration and have more input into what happened in the classrooms so that teachers and students would be even more supported.”

One of the biggest days of his career came when he became a principal/director. “While I don’t like cliches, sometimes they really are true: getting that job was a true honor. I am where I am today, however, because I became a teacher first. Starting in that position means that the skills I have are very diverse: diversity and inclusion, HR, curriculum writing, behavior management, and leadership. Hopefully I will be able to use that experience to become the superintendent of a school district in about five years.”

Passing on his knowledge of the school system to those just starting out in education is Lawrence’s priority. “I emphasize that they should consider getting a master’s degree because it will open up more career options. Another very valuable skill is being bilingual. Spanish is useful, but there are also other languages that can benefit you. I also recommend that people who want to work in education learn classroom management and leadership.”

Lawrence says that anyone who works in schools, be it in a classroom or in administration, is an educator. “That includes me. Each day, I remind myself that I must help students grow academically, morally, and socially. I try to pay close attention to each student I meet and to understand their unique personality and learning style. Doing so means that I can enable each student to grow to become the life-long learner and active citizen needed in our society. In short, I do all that I can to ensure that all students learn and are successful. It’s a good feeling when I see that happen.”

How success is defined will depend on the student, of course. As Lawrence explains, “It’s tied to how much they grow personally. This growth is the spirit of our challenge in school. Without educational growth, there can be no learning.”

He says that teachers can help by remembering that appropriate learning takes place through many different experiences. “This means that activities must be designed to lead the student from practical issues to theoretical principles. Learning also occurs as students freely engage in making choices while weighing personal responsibilities and the possible consequences of their actions. It is our role as educators to present principles, values, and reasons to students and to encourage them to examine the choices and decide whether or not to accept them.”

He stresses that a diversity of learning styles among students is necessary. “I believe in providing a variety of strategies to make learning accessible to all students. When I teach, it is important that I find ways to utilize those differences in a democratic atmosphere that fosters cooperation rather than competition. Group work plays a large role, for it allows both a hands-on investigation of the content and an opportunity to build social skills. It also allows for individual strengths to be highlighted within the safety of the group. Students can practice critical reading and writing in activities that demand an exploration of ideas and hypotheses after careful research and planning. They can also express their ideas in ways other than writing; posters, stories, three-dimensional art, and role-playing are some of the alternative activities available in my class.”

Lawrence says that when these ideas are implemented in a classroom, the transformation a student undergoes can be remarkable. “They are allowed to really learn and express themselves in ways that are natural to them. They can blossom and discover that education really can be fun.”

No matter what part of the education system Lawrence works in, he knows that at the center of it are the teachers and students. “If you work in a school, you’ll know that everything is designed to maximize what happens in the classroom. That is my job: to ultimately make sure that the learning/teaching experience thrives.”