Erin Lowry awarded Teacher of The Month for September 2019

Erin Lowry, English teacher and English Department Chairperson, has been chosen as the Teacher of the Month award for September 2019.

But teaching wasn’t always Lowry’s first career choice.

“I didn’t [want to be a teacher]. Every female in my family is a teacher so I try to avoid it like the plague, but then I realized that it’s kinda where I belong,” Lowry said

After her first career, which was marketing and sales, she decided it wasn’t for her. So she went back to school in hopes of something better and decided teaching really was her calling — just like her family.

“At first it was one of those things were I wasn’t really into it until I taught a freshman focus class at the Citadel and I was like, ‘oh wait uhhh I really like this,’” Lowry said. “So I knew it was the right fit for me.”

It was that first moment where Lowry really felt the passion that she had and would continue to have for teaching. The moment instantly changed how she felt about teaching.

Then it was up to what subject she would teach.

“English has always been a thing for me, reading has always been that thing for me,” she said. “The literature side has always drawn me in, I love to read, I love to imagine what people look like and stories that are happening.”

After 15 years at Wando, Lowry said the best part of teaching is the students.

“The most rewarding part is to see, I don’t care about grades, I don’t care about any of that stuff — I care about it when they have that moment that they get it or it means something to them or they say, ‘I’m understanding it on a different level now,things like that,” Lowry said.

One of her students, sophomore Bella Abeles, said Lowry was deserving of the award.

“She’s very engaging and is one of the most creative teachers I’ve ever had,” Abeles said. “She is always pushing us to understand the literature.”

Lowry’s teaching styles and her expressiveness allows her students to be interested and fully invested, Abeles added.

“Ms. Lowry always makes the material super engaging, even if it’s a Canto from the 14th century,” she said.

Lowry herself feels excited but humbled to have won the award.

“I feel obviously honored, it’s exciting to win, but there’s a lot of people who deserve it a lot more in the school,” she said. “It feels good.”

Lowry has just begun working as the English Department chairperson.

“It’s a lot of additional work to ensure: communication is clear, voices are heard, people are celebrated, teachers,students, parents are supported, inventory is recorded, meetings are attended, scheduling is done in the best interest of our students,” Lowry
Said.

Abeles said Lowry is a positive influence.

“She puts so much energy into her lesson plans or her teaching in general, it gives a boost of motivation.” she said.