Rockwood Celebrates Missouri Lifelong Learning Month

February is Missouri Lifelong Learning Month, a time when we promote awareness of the importance of ongoing education throughout everyone's lives.

In the Rockwood School District, there are more than 160 educators who have earned National Board Certification.

This week, we feature three Rockwood teachers – Amy Wiedemann, Bryan Tenny and Becky Lawrence. Learn why it's important for them to be lifelong learners and how they model and inspire their students to be lifelong learners.

Amy Wiedemann
First-Grade Teacher at Kellison Elementary
29 years as a classroom teacher, all in Rockwood

Why is it important for you to be a lifelong learner?

It is important to be a lifelong learner to continue growing personally and professionally. I have always loved learning and making connections. I love a good documentary, nonfiction book, history and nature. 

When and why did you pursue National Board Certification?

I first earned my NBC in 2014 and renewed in 2023. I wanted to push myself to be a better teacher. The process encouraged me to more deeply analyze how each and every little aspect of my teaching, from planning to assessing, impacts students.

How do you model and inspire your students to be lifelong learners?

I think I model a love for learning through my own excitement. Students watch me get excited about something new. I show them books I’m reading at home or tell them about a program I’ve watched. I want to teach them to BE learners for the love of it - not to only learn FROM me. We seek connections and look for more. I encourage them to share what they are passionate about. There really is always and everywhere something new to learn!

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Bryan Tenny
Materials Processing Teacher at LaSalle Springs Middle
20 years as a classroom teacher, all in Rockwood

Why is it important for you to be a lifelong learner?

It is important for me to be a lifelong learner, allowing me to stay current as things are constantly changing.  Being able to adapt and adjust helps me be most effective as an educator, and my students deserve my best.

When and why did you pursue National Board Certification?

I pursued my National Board Certification two years ago. The Rockwood School District offers incentives and support to complete this rigorous process to look more deeply into our teaching practices and help us to become better educators. 

How do you model and inspire your students to be lifelong learners?

My mother-in-law has a saying, "The best thing you can do for your family (or in this case my students) is leave an example." 

Every day, I put quotes on my whiteboard outside my classroom to inspire others and myself. Many times, those quotes are used in that day's lesson. I also will use short video clips to teach a life lesson how we can all get better and to try a strategy to get better in life. Finally, I share personal goals that I am currently working on or a book I am reading to get better on a topic/skill. In November, I shared that I am counting calories to lose 30 pounds. I have lost 14 pounds since the end of November. Some will see me in the gym after school trying to get better. This week, my grandmother is struggling as she was put in a nursing home and she continues to lose her memory. She has called me several times during the day, very lost and confused. I share that many of us have family struggles that others can't see, but we have two things we can control: our attitude and our effort. While it is emotional and stressful, they see I have a job to do, and I do my very best to make my class continue on as I control those two things. I find my students like it when I share my life as they can relate, and when they see me working on getting better, it helps them to try.

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Becky Lawrence
Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher at Lafayette High
22 years as a classroom teacher, all in Rockwood

Why is it important for you to be a lifelong learner?

One of the things I love most about teaching culinary arts is that it’s a field where I'm never truly ‘finished’ learning. New techniques, global flavors, nutrition research and kitchen technologies are constantly evolving. Pursuing my NBC challenged me to reflect deeply on my teaching and grow professionally, just like I ask my students to do in the kitchen every day.

When and why did you pursue National Board Certification?

I pursued NBC because I believe educators deserve to be recognized and compensated for excellence. The financial reward was a driving part of the decision. The opportunity to achieve a respected professional milestone was also inspiring. I wanted to show that we can continue to grow, strive for distinction and elevate our profession. Hopefully my journey encourages other colleagues to challenge themselves in a new and rewarding way.

How do you model and inspire your students to be lifelong learners?

I model lifelong learning by being open about my own growth. If a recipe doesn’t turn out perfectly, I reflect on it with my students and colleagues together. If there’s a new culinary trend, we explore it together. I want students to see that mistakes are part of mastery and that improvement comes from reflection and persistence.