LPS Teachers take time to listen during Student Panel

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Before students fill up classrooms next week, teachers worked hard to prepare for the new school year, and what better way to prepare, than by hearing from those they plan on educating.

Thursday, teachers listened to students at a Back to School Student Panel, hosted by Lawton Public Schools.

They had help from State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who was the event’s keynote speaker.

The panel was first introduced during the State Department of Education’s ‘EngageOK’ event last month, with around 100 LPS teachers in attendance

LPS officials wanted to recreate that success with Thursday’s first-ever LPS Student Panel.

The panel included around 1000 teachers from all across the district, all in one room.

LPS Superintendent Kevin Hime said the goal of the panel was to give educators a better understanding of their students.

“We did that at Engage, when the State Department came here, and they ran it, they had a student panel, we only had maybe 100 of our teachers there. It was very very powerful for our teachers to hear what our students have to say. So we did it again, because we felt that it was a great learning experience. Sometimes we forget to listen to the people that we’re trying to educate,” said Hime.

“If you expect people to learn, and expect people to be engaged in what you’re trying to teach, then you need to understand what their expectations are and what drives their energy or drives their interest. And so hopefully, this will kind of bridge that gap with that few students talking with our teachers,” continued Hime.

Elementary, Middle School, and High school teachers will spend the next several days in various training courses, all the way up until the First Day of School on the 11th.

It’s all in an effort to create the best learning environment possible, for students all across the LPS district.

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