Julie Seawright is retiring from Clark Pleasant Schools after 26 years in education. SUBMITTED PHOTO
For two Clark-Pleasant teachers, the end of the school year marked the completion of a journey that lasted more than a quarter-century.
‘Never a dull moment’
Julie Seawright didn’t always dream of being a teacher, but found her calling at Clark-Pleasant schools. She student taught for the district in 1995 and was hired as a teacher in 1996. Now at retirement, she’s worked her entire 26-year career at the district. Over the years she’s taught a variety of subjects, including English, social studies and science, all at the sixth grade level.
“I didn’t know I wanted to be in education until I went to college and worked several jobs and decided to go back to school for education. It took me a long time to get my degree while working,” Seawright said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do; I thought of teaching. I really liked my sixth grade teacher and she inspired me to become a teacher as well.”
After teaching English and social studies, she’s finished her career teaching science for a decade.
“When I started out, I wanted to teach science, but I didn’t fall in the right path to teach science until later on,” she said. “I’ve always been a sixth grade teacher. I enjoyed it so much I stayed in the corporation all those years, all in the same grade. I had an endorsement in science and I always liked animals and learning about those, and it just made me pick science.”
When Seawright had difficulty reaching a student, she’ll try and get them to discuss their interests, she said.
“Just try and engage with them if they have behavioral problems. I ask students ‘how was your camping trip?’ It opens their mouth and they’re not as disruptive if I make it personable,” Seawright said. “There’s never a dull moment. (The students) are very honest and I like sixth grade … They’re old enough to not be told over and over to do things, but they’re young enough to be gullible and likeable.”
Seawright will look forward to traveling during retirement, but will miss her interactions in schools, she said.
“(I’ll miss) the other people I teach with and seeing the kids that really get it and say ‘thank you so much for teaching,’” Seawright said. “I had a student, now in eighth grade, who said I was his favorite teacher. I’ll miss those interactions.”
‘Make learning fun’
Lori Stier is retiring after a 33-year teaching career, 29 years of which she spent at Clark-Pleasant schools.
“I started my teaching career in 1988, teaching at Morristown Elementary, which was in my hometown and I had gone to school at. I taught first grade for four years there,” Stier said. “I’ve always had a passion for kids. I was a cadet teacher junior year of high school when I went to elementary school and really enjoyed it, and I knew I wanted to go into teaching.”
After getting married, she got hired at Break-O-Day Elementary School, where she taught second graders. During her almost three decades at Clark-Pleasant, she also taught at Sawmill Woods Elementary School before finishing her career at Pleasant Crossing Elementary School. During her time at the three schools, she taught kindergarten through third grade.
“I started out teaching first grade and ended my career teaching kindergarten and I feel like what is now kindergarten used to be first grade. I taught them to read and you saw so much growth. Now kids learn to read in kindergarten; it’s pretty amazing,” Stier said. “I enjoyed third grade. It’s the age of kids testing and there’s more stress related to teaching with ILEARN and IREAD (exams). You just try and be patient, make learning fun, develop good relationships with kids and families and make them feel loved at school and try and make it enjoyable.”
Encouragement is the best motivator for children, she said.
“I think a lot of them are just seeking love and attention, but I also let them know what’s expected of them. It’s lots of positive encouragement and building their confidence,” Stier said. “This past year, I taught five sessions of kindergarten writing and one session of first grade writing. You write the first sound you can hear and then it’s teaching them what they’re learning in reading, they can apply to writing. It’s neat to see their growth over the years. It took a lot of positive encouragement that they could do it. A lot could write but didn’t see themselves as writers. It’s just like reading: ‘yes, you can read.’”
Now in retirement, Stier plans to volunteer and spend time traveling with her family, she said.
