Heather Laurent

1. What school district and grade/s do you currently teach?

I teach K-5 STEAM at Pittsburgh Woolslair in Pittsburgh Public Schools. We are the elementary STEAM Magnet School for the district, meaning we not only serve students in our neighborhood, but from across the district!

2. What is one positive experience that you have had with a student? 

I work a lot with my students on perseverance and being willing to make mistakes. Last school year I had a second grade student say to me, "Failure is not an option, try and try again is the only option." This came from a student in one of my toughest classes, it proved to me that our students really do listen to what we say.

3. What advice would you give to current students who are enrolled in the teacher preparation program? 

While college can't fully prepare you for what it is like to be working full time as a teacher, it gives you an incredible base of knowledge that you pull from. Also, when you do start teaching don't forget what it is like to be the student!

4. What do you love most about teaching? 

There is so much I love about teaching, but what I love most is helping students understand how and why. In the past when I've taught 5th and 6th grade math and now as a STEAM teacher, especially with computer programming, seeing the students when they finally realize how or why something works is incredible! 

5. What makes a great teacher? 

A teacher is great when they understand their content and know their students well enough to teach that content in a way that works for their students, even if that means changing how you teach each year, or sometimes even each month, week, or day!