As Lauren Lancaster walks down the halls on the way to her A-wing classroom, she has a touch of excitement and determination in her step knowing she has another opportunity to mold the minds of her students.
Lancaster, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Virginia Tech University, is a first-year teacher at the high school. Previously, she taught English at the 8th and 9th grade level at N.B Clements Junior High School and also has experience teaching 7th and 12th grade English as well as AP Literature.
During her time at Clements, she brought many changes and technological advancements to the classroom as well as the school in general.
“The past two years I taught Honors English 8 and regular English 9. While at Clements, I started a technology pilot program, which allowed me to utilize technology each day in my classroom in innovative ways,” Lancaster said. “Students regularly used ‘netbooks’ in the class to participate in online discussions, work with their classmates on assignments, vote on various issues, blog, and much more.”
Since transferring to the high school, she has tried to bring her motivated attitude with her, hoping to do whatever she can to make the high school a better place. Even though the two schools are close in distance, Lancaster finds the transition to be a challenge.
“Interestingly, the transition from teaching at Clements to Prince George High School was more difficult than I expected. Despite the fact that both schools are in the same district, the policies, expectations, and overall feel are very different,” Lancaster said. “Moreover, the building is spread out in a way that you don’t come in contact with many teachers outside of your department. While it has definitely been an adjustment, I have received a lot of support from my department and others in the building, which has been very helpful. I am looking forward to working here.”
With this school year bringing about a lot of changes to the policies, administration, and overall faculty, Lancaster still believes that even though there is not a requisite amount of chemistry between the teachers yet, everyone is definitely on the same page.
“Despite the fact that many in our department are new, everything has been going smoothly,” Lancaster said. “This is something that is really great about the high school and the setup of department workrooms. There is a great sense of comradery and collaboration. It is wonderful to know that I am a part of such a great department.”
Technology is definitely something that peaks the interest of Lancaster, who integrated many innovative classroom ideas surrounded around electronics during her time at Clements. Along with this, she is trying to bring that same 21st century style of learning to her new place of employment.
“Today, students need to be digitally literate and technologically literate,” Lancaster said. “I incorporate technology in my classroom to enhance our learning in and out of the classroom, to make it meaningful and relevant, to prepare them for the 21st century, and to engage and empower students to have a voice.”
She also hopes to make learning more enjoyable for her students by teaching them that the things being taught are relevant in everyday life.
“Moreover, I constantly make connections to the real world: current events, pop culture, technology, etc,” Lancaster said. “For example, I often pull popular songs to highlight the impact of utilizing figurative language, the importance of tone, and the universality of what we are studying. Additionally, I reference popular literature and movies to help explain concepts and ideas.”
Lancaster is elated to be a part of the faculty of the high school and hopes to benefit the school in anyway she can.
“I hope to be a great addition to my department and the school as a whole,” Lancaster said.
