Approaching almost 30 years inside a classroom, Laura Stewardson has spent more than half of her career educating students within the Brownwood ISD.

Stewardson has spent the last 13 years full-time at Woodland Heights Elementary School and is a 29-year teaching veteran "I began my teaching career in Ralls, Texas, " Stewardson said.

"I taught there for 12 years before moving to Brownwood. I stayed home with my boys, Thomas and Will, for 4 years before returning to the classroom as a long term substitute for 2 years and then as a teacher's aide for 2 years. I began teaching again at Woodland Heights and I have been in 3rd and 2nd grade there for the last 13 years." As for the classes she teaches and extracurriculars she's involved with at Woodland Heights, Stewardson said, "I teach math, science and social studies to 2nd graders. I enjoy teaching these subjects to 2nd graders because they are at an age where they are curious, enthusiastic learners. I love helping students build strong academic foundations, think critically, explore new ideas, and gain confidence in their abilities. Watching their excitement when they understand a new concept or make a discovery makes teaching very rewarding. I am also a sponsor for Student Council at Woodland Heights. The members consist of 5th graders, and I enjoy being able to work with former students and see how they have grown and matured since they were in my class." Reflecting on her decision to become an educator, Stewardson said, "I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. My mother was a teacher and I grew up helping her get her classroom ready every fall and I admired the dedication she and the other teachers had to making learning fun and meaningful. I knew that was was something I wanted to do as well." Looking back on her school days, Stewardson said, "I had many teachers that had a lasting impact on me. As I think back, it is the teachers that made an effort to get to know their students as people, not just as pupils. I might not have been the best student in their class, but they always made a point to make sure I was seen and understood. I was able to learn much more from them than just the subject being taught." Stewardson grew up in Hereford, graduated from Hereford High School, then attended college at Abilene Christian University and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education Stewardson said in regard to the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher, "Often children this age are shy and unsure when the school year begins. However, as the year progresses I am able to see students make connections, gain confidence, and develop a love of learning. Watching transformation in the students is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching 2nd grade." Asked what is most overlooked or misunderstood when it to comes to being an educator, Stewardson said, "I feel like that a large part of being an educator that is overlooked is the amount of mental and emotional energy goes into the job. People often picture teaching as standing in front of a class and explaining things. But a big part of teaching as also being able to read the room and noticing who's struggling, who is off task and why, managing conflicts, and encouraging students to do their best at all times! It's not always the delivery of information that's important and overlooked, it's the relationship-building and emotional labor - with students and parents - that makes learning possible in the first place." As for what excites her the most about the future of teaching, Stewardson said, "The future of teaching will undoubtedly have many technological advances, however, one of the most exciting aspects is that teachers are likely to remain the central focus of the classroom. Students need encouragement, inspiration, judgment, empathy, and role models - qualities technology cannot fully replace." *** BrownwoodNews.com will highlight one Brown County educator per day in the month of July, based on nominations received on our Facebook page, for our Teacher Feature series.