Excellence in Teaching: Springfield educator always knew she wanted to teach

Lotus Smith did not start her career teaching, but she always knew that’s what she wanted to do.

Smith has been teaching the last 23 years in the Springfield City School District. She teaches 4th grade English and Science at Lagonda Elementary School. She started working in human resources after receiving her bachelor of science degree in business communications from Ohio University, earned her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Urbana University and has taken graduate classes at the University of Dayton and Wittenberg University.

Smith and three other teachers will receive the Excellence in Teaching award on April 20. The awards program is sponsored by the Springfield Rotary Club, Ohio Edison, The Springfield Foundation and The Chamber of Greater Springfield.

The awards luncheon was originally scheduled for March 16, but has been rescheduled for April 20 as a precaution to the coronavirus outbreak.

Each recipient will be introduced and will give a short presentation on what teaching has meant to them and the importance of being a teacher. Recipients will also receive a $1,000 check, a recognition plaque, a glass apple, and proclamations from the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.

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Smith comes from a family of educators, she said.

“My grandfather taught. Early in my mother’s teaching career she taught grades first through eighth in a one-room schoolhouse. Many of my close friends are teachers,” she said. “Although I didn’t start out in teaching, I always knew I wanted to teach.”

Working together with other teachers on a daily basis is an important part of being a teacher, Smith said.

“The importance of teachers cannot be overstated. One of the most important attributes of teaching is having the opportunity to work with other educators,” she said. “I continue to be inspired by my amazing colleagues and their dedication. We work together to help our children be their best.”

She said her and another teacher work closely together to help their students in many ways.

“My co-teacher and I work closely to evaluate strategies to help our students achieve academic and social success,” Smith said. “Teachers pitch in to help their kids by purchasing supplies, clothes and other needed items to help their students feel more secure.”

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Smith has taught all subjects to second and third graders in a multi-age class, and fifth grade in a self-contained classroom.

“School is never boring or predictable. There is always surprises and no two days are ever the same,” she said.

Smith said each year she gets new students that are like family.

“As our students are learning, so are we as teachers. We learn how to motivate our students, differentiate our teaching to help our students grow and celebrate our successes,” she said.

Seeing the students get excited about learning is something Smith enjoys.

“As teachers we experience a multitude of emotions each day with our students. We have the ability to build personal relationships with our students each day, which is one of my favorite parts of learning.”

Receiving this award is an honor, Smith said.

“I’m very appreciative and honored for this recognition,” she said. “It is wonderful that our community celebrates their teachers and supports their hard work and dedication of our profession.”


2020 Excellence in Teaching Award

This is the final story in a four-part series by the Springfield News-Sun on the teachers in Clark County receiving the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award.

NEW LUNCHEON DATE

The Excellence in Teaching Awards luncheon, originally scheduled for March 16, has been rescheduled for April 20 as a precaution to the coronavirus outbreak.

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