Jennifer L.

Mrs. Laurence is the most amazing teacher and woman! Being confined to her wheelchair because of muscular dystrophy does not stop her from dealing with the most challenging of students. She conducts her daily life as if she has no disability at all, and her students follow her lead by trying harder and not feeling sorry for themselves. Because Mrs. Laurence has limited mobility, she relies on the students to do things such as cooking and cleaning in her classroom, and this in turn fosters independence in students who struggle to learn. She developed an in-school business for her special education students to partake in, teaching them valuable life skills that help challenge each student to expand their horizons of learning. She is always positive and expects the best from herself and her students. She fiercely defends students with disabilities and models how to stand up for yourself. She keeps in touch weekly with the parents of each of her students so everybody knows what's going on. Many times, she has said that the children are her reason for getting up each day. She is a remarkable person and terriffic teacher.

Signed,
Rhonda Laird