Lauren Whitcomb
K-1 Teacher, Newark School
Kingdom East School District
Lyndonville, Vermont
Lauren Whitcomb: Kindness, Respect, Empathy, and Caring are the Points on her Moral Compass
“Miss Lauren’s” K-1 students at the Newark (Vermont) School were very excited to greet their visitor just prior to February vacation. They were all dressed in their PJ’s, eager to tell all about their “Sleep-Under” that day! A sleep-under is a bit like a sleep-over, they explained, but you don’t spend the night. They wore pajamas, brought sleeping bags, and planned to watch films that afternoon, complete with popcorn!
Meet Lauren Whitcomb and learn a little bit about what makes her such a notable, impressive, and compassionate teacher of young children. Lauren's mentors taught her two vital lessons: early on, one advisor told her that teaching enhances parenting, and parenting improves teaching; later, her father shared how kindness and caring outweighed academic content and pedagogy in his experience.
One of my instructors who was guiding my student teaching said, “You know, Lauren, teaching will make you a better parent and parenting will make you a better teacher.” At that time, I had two young children: an infant and a three-year-old. I was working on my master’s degree, student teaching, piecing together daycare… There are days when you just have to take a deep breath. I thought, I don't know if I can do this. [My instructor] was right, and now that my own children are older, I have this new special and heartwarming appreciation for working with younger kids. Now I have this perspective of being able to look at my students, really appreciate, and enjoy where they are. I get to spend a lot of great quality time with them and see how they grow. I feel lucky and blessed to be able to do what I do.
When Lauren was living and studying in California, she was required to take classes and obtain a certificate in teaching students with English as a second language. In one of her classes, she had to interview an immigrant. Her father is an immigrant who moved from Eastern Europe and Germany to the United States after World War II. He relocated at age three and started attending American schools. By the time he was six, his family had settled in upstate New York, where he began first grade in public school.
I was interviewing him about that experience, and he said to me, ‘I went to that classroom, my teacher was so kind and nice and helped me and made me feel good.’ My father's 78. He was six. And, you know, 72 years later, that's what he remembers about that teacher.
I'm sure she taught him his ABC’s and 1, 2, 3’s. But what he remembers is how she nurtured him. And she was there for him, and he loved her. He loved going into her classroom. I thought I had my teaching all figured out. But when I heard my father say that I thought - that's what I want to be like, for my students.
I want to be the teacher they remember as kind and loving and helpful. She loved us. I feel like when you have that, everything else flows from there. We can do all the other things. “I want you to know that I care, and I want you to know that I'm here for you.” I almost burst into tears when my father said that. He’d never told me that before. I had no idea.
As Lauren speaks so highly to the emotional side of our business, we get a clear picture of who she is as a teacher. This sums up her approach to the practice.
It's a huge part of our job. We go to school to learn how to do all the academics and really, the biggest part of our work is being emotionally available for whatever it is your kids need.
Lauren’s Mosaic Background: “A Slow and Steady Train”
Lauren's varied experiences have given her a foundation for making decisions about content and teaching methods, particularly when working with young children. She began her career not in education, but in business. She went to UVM and later worked as a project manager in technology in Boston. After moving to London for three years and working in tech project management, she returned to New England. With a blossoming family, Lauren was ready for a change from technology and project management, researched other options, and turned to education.
It was a slow and steady train for a while because we'd started a family. I had two young daughters. And we were living back in Boston at that time. I decided to get my master’s degree at Lesley College in Cambridge. I did that over a couple of years while my daughters were quite little.
She pursued her graduate degree and student taught in Cambridge, Massachusetts, later working in the area. Initially, she focused on behavior, then moved to teaching second grade. After relocating to California, she did various jobs, including substitute teaching for grades K-8 at her daughters' school. Eventually, she became a literacy-focused interventionist at a small private high school.
We had friends living in Burke, which led us to visit frequently for family skiing weekends. Over time, we realized this was where we wanted to live. When we moved back to Vermont, I met [my principal], who later offered me a job. I wanted to focus on elementary education, which aligns with my degree and license. So, I started working here.
Lauren has had a diverse career path with various positions along the way. It was quite informative and allowed for learning from working with different students. With experience in both private and public schools across multiple states and content areas, she’s developed a wealth of knowledge. This is her fourth year (third full year) in Newark, having started mid-year as a literacy interventionist. Initially, she supported middle school students in their literacy efforts since that was where the need was greatest. Later, the K-1 position became available, and she transitioned into that role.
Although she is relatively new to teaching in Rural Vermont, Lauren has ample prior experience with both teaching and living in Vermont.
This is where I want to be, this is so fun. I mean, it's a lot. It's hard work. It is hard physical work. My daughters are older now. So, it's amazing how we kind of forget. And then you're around younger kids again. Like, wow, I'm on the floor. I'm in the chair. I'm on the playground. I'm up and down the hallway. But it is so rewarding. And they grow so fast, like physically, emotionally, cognitively, and having an opportunity to work with them for two years in a row works well. They come into kindergarten, most of them, they're just so small and they're learning letters and sounds and how to share, and how to hang up their coat.
And then they leave my classroom reading books. And helping the younger ones with what they learned last year. Adding and subtracting and understanding place value. I mean it's just incredible. …how their brains are just ready to go. Guiding them along and exposing them to things that we feel they're ready for.
And simultaneously I feel like some magic happens in there. It's like magic watching them go from point A to point D when they leave my room. And that is so rewarding.
There is no preschool at Lauren’s school, so some children arrive from various other preschools, while some have not had any prior experience.
We know the progression of how a student learns to read or learns to add or learns to understand algebraic thinking.
What that looks like for a student who might be operating as a preschooler, right when they first come in - all the way up to a student who might be operating as a second grader. They're a bit ahead cognitively or academically when they leave. We really try to understand very closely, like, where exactly are you? And how can I support you or extend you?
Not every day goes perfectly, but these moments allow me to reflect on what didn't work and what I can do differently. And what did that student just teach me about what they need to learn? Or is it a behavioral change I need to make or like an environmental change that I can make? Or is it an academic change that I can make, offer them something that's more supportive or more extended?
I've spent time and taught in all the grades. And this is my preference. I love that they're just growing so fast. We are in a different place now, and I feel blessed and lucky. As a parent, I know we get these children for the best part of their day, even though mornings and afternoons can be tough. Here at Newark, it is a strong community where people support each other both inside and outside the school. This supportive environment is one of my favorite aspects of Newark. There is also strong parent support here.
Love of Vermont, the Outdoors, and all the Possibilities that Abound
Lauren loves rural Vermont, loves the outdoors, teaching, appreciates blended content learning and as with many of our teacher voices to date, maximizes learning opportunities and time spent outdoors with her students.
For kindergarten through second grade, they have two to three outdoor opportunities a day. Much of it is play-based still at this age. We just encourage them to play and build with the snow blocks and use the playground equipment. We have a beautiful space outside with paths through the woods.
So, if it's a nice day, we may go outside and do a number hunt. They'll have clipboards and pencils and they'll be doing a scavenger hunt outside to try to find groups of five things or groups of ten things. Or when we do write, for example, or science, we have some paths through the woods, they'll do some observations, or maybe we'll do a little bit of poetry writing out there, depending on the day and the weather. This school values our outdoor time and really encourages it. For our students, we value play, as do I with younger students. They work out and learn so much when they're playing together. That's important for them and translates into our classroom and our academics. …when they can play a game safely and outside.
Or when they can share a sled going up and down a hill. When we come back in and I want to do a math game with them, you know, it's the same skills. They need those skills for their academics.
Fridays are exploratory. In the winter, we go to Burke Mountain on Fridays, and we ski. 10 Fridays. We're just putting together our exploratory Friday programming for the spring. We will have a couple of biking days. And then, I think we're going to have “Science Fridays”. I borrowed that wording from NPR.
They are feeling empowered and proud of their achievements. Observing their growth, encouraging them, and learning together has been rewarding. Some have developed an interest in biking or skiing, despite never having tried these activities before. They return with a sense of accomplishment, having completed trails or descended hills.
Another unexpected benefit surfaces during our writing curriculum. For example, our first unit focuses on personal narratives. As their instructor and guide, I now know that each student can write about their experiences on the bike or ski hill. It levels the playing field, allowing everyone to bring their experiences into the classroom. This has been incredibly beneficial. It's a special part of our approach, making it feel more natural. Starting young is crucial, right? I wish we had this opportunity earlier.
Lauren still tries to get out as much as she can when not in school - skiing downhill, cross country skiing, biking, hiking. She frequently walks her dog.
Lauren has no plans to go anywhere else. She loves her area of Vermont, and really feels her sweet spot is in the younger grades.
Both of Lauren’s daughters are now in college and thriving; one is a scientist, the other, an artist. Lauren is proud of them both, as they are of her!
