Bob Graham Education Center named Laura Lisowski Teacher of the Year. Lisowski’s career started in 1980 at Santa Clara Elementary School. She has worked in the district offices, math department and professional development.
It was at the district where she got to spread her love of math to other teachers in workshops, as well as demonstrating lessons in classrooms. Lisowski was given the opportunity to represent Miami- Dade County Public Schools at conferences where she presented math activities and ideas across Florida, as well as Boston, Chicago, New Orleans and Saint Louis.
Lisowski received her bachelor’s degree from State University of New York, College at Oswego. She received her Master’s from Nova Southeastern University and her specialist degree from the University of Miami. Other honors she has received have been grants from The Education Fund for two of her ideas as well as receiving a Citicorp Grant with another BGEC teacher. She has also been acknowledged from the state of Florida for being one of the top teachers in the state for having the most learning gains.
Her additional jobs at Bob Graham Education Center are PD Liaison, the Elementary Math Liaison, and the IXL and Reflex Math Coordinator. She is also the only person in the school district that teaches Clinical Supervision for Educators.
Lisowski is a mother to three adult daughters and hopes to be a grandmother someday soon. In her spare time Laura assists her daughters in volunteer work with The Little Lighthouse which includes art and crafts and activities with emergency foster care children.
Lisowski says she gets a feeling of accomplishment and she was meant to be teaching at BGEC at the end of her career. She finds great joy when she can help a teacher solve a problem, use her connections to make things happen or just lend a hand getting things done. What really warms her heart is when former students yell her name in the hall, come by and visit to tell her what they remember from her class or the students who say thank you for helping them get that 5 on the FSA.