Laurie Sullivan wrote essays on educational reform. She addressed expert panels on classroom leadership and staff development. But in the end, she boiled her educational philosophy down to a simple motto: “School is a fun place to be,” she said. “Learning is fun.”
It’s a message that resonates in the halls of Barrett Elementary School, where Sullivan has taught for the last 10 years. It also resonated last week in Richmond, where Sullivan was named Virginia’s 2004 Teacher of the Year during ceremonies on Friday, Oct. 22.
With the award came a $1,000 check from the Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen law firm, classroom technology equipment from the SmarterKids Foundation and a $1,000 savings bond.
Sullivan received Arlington’s Teacher of the Year award last April, and took regional honors for all of Northern Virginia at the beginning of the month. The recognition earned her a spot in Richmond last week, where she competed against teachers from the Commonwealth’s eight other regions.
Each teacher gave a speech and responded to questions from a panel of 12 judges, consisting of representatives from education associations and the business community, and last year’s Virginia Teacher of the Year.
“I guess the speech and interview went well,” joked Sullivan this week.
SULLIVAN COORDINATES and teaches Barrett’s “Project Discovery,” an interdisciplinary program that uses technology, creative projects and hands-on activities to help students learn math and science. In that role, Sullivan also helps other Barrett teachers develop new instructional techniques.
Sarah Jacobson, a special education teacher, recalled Sullivan’s dedication in helping her plan a math lesson last year, under pressing circumstances. “Even though she had to be at some conference on the other coast for those two days, she sat with me, stayed late, and organized the tables,” said Jacobson. “It was all ready for us.”
Collaboration with her colleagues at Barrett has been a key to success, Sullivan said. “Laurie represents all of us, because we do work together as a team,” said Barrett principal Theresa Bratt. “We’re a very collaborative school.”
Bratt was quick to praise Sullivan’s individual attributes as well. “Her enthusiasm for learning is just contagious,” she said. “We all feel it.”
Sullivan shared the honor with her colleagues and said teacher of the year recognition reflects on them as well. “We have a wonderful school, and we want everyone else to know it,” she said.
Enthusiasm from the Barrett faculty came immediately, when Sullivan was selected as Arlington’s Teacher of the Year last April. “Laurie has an innate understanding of how children learn,” said fellow Barrett teacher Anna Bowman following the April announcement.
That understanding comes from never forgetting what it felt like to be a student, Sullivan said. She retains the enthusiasm for learning that carried her through her own school experience as a child. “I loved elementary school,” she said. “I think I wanted to be a teacher ever since elementary school. I thought, ‘This is such a fun place to be!’”
Now, at the end of a weekend, when many adults are dreading going back to work, Sullivan is still excited about going to school.