Nurturing Young Minds and Leading Change:

A Day in the Life of Pam Lowe, MSTA State President

By Lindsay James, MSTA Creative Media Specialist

In November, Pam Lowe took the stage at the annual Assembly of Delegates and assumed the role of MSTA State President. This yearly passing of the gavel underscores a profound opportunity for an individual to spearhead positive change within the association and the educational community. Lowe brings with her a wealth of experience and enthusiasm for the year ahead. Among her biggest supporters are the 19 young learners who know her simply as “Mrs. Pam.”

With 27 years of teaching experience (six years in pre-K, 20 in kindergarten and one in fifth grade), Lowe approaches each day at Sikeston Kindergarten and Early Childhood Education Center with an open mind and determination to help her students succeed.

“It's always go, go, go," she chuckles. “We've really worked hard on the concept of Strong Start, which goes along with our Teach Like a Champion initiative that the district has implemented. So, when the kids come in at 8:30, they know exactly what to do.”

The 4- and 5-year-olds put their folders and backpacks away, eat their breakfast and work on the papers waiting in their cubbies. Some work independently while others turn to Lowe or her teacher’s assistant, Mrs. Addie, for reassurance. By 9 a.m., the classroom is alive with the sound of eager chatter and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. The children, now settled into their routine, transition to engaging activities that foster their creativity and social skills.

“When the weather is nice, we get to go outside and then we come in and do the calendar,” Lowe says.

Gathered in assigned spots on a colorful rug, the students enthusiastically sing the days of the week to the tune of the Addams Family theme. “Days of the week, (snap snap) days of the week, (snap snap) ... There's Monday and there's Tuesday, there's Wednesday and there's Thursday...”

Lowe cheerfully leads the class through a few repetitions of the song before moving on to the months of the year (Macarena version) and various methods of counting numbers. This is typically followed by a whole group activity, like searching for a partner with a matching puzzle piece based on rhyming vocabulary words.

Following a period of vigorous learning, these young minds are ready for recess and a nutritious lunch.

After the milk cartons and orange peels are discarded, the class prepares for more group time on the rug.

“We do a program called Heggerty and then we go through the alphabet and read a story,” Lowe says. “Then we go through stations, which they really love.”

The classroom is organized logistically with stations in each corner dedicated to specific tasks.

When assigned to an area, small groups of students work together on games...

paint masterpieces......

practice coloring...

flip through books...

and sort through bins of sensory materials to find matching letters.

After all the excitement of rotating stations, the children are ready for their afternoon naps.

Lowe unstacks 19 small cots and strategically places them around the room in each child’s preferred resting spot. Blankets in tow, the children lay their heads down on soft pillows as she turns off the lights. One boy sleeps directly next to Lowe’s desk, listening to a YouTube video on her phone as recommended by his parents.

“It’s the strangest thing, I play this silly video and he’s out within seconds,” Lowe giggles. “I'm really blessed, and all my kids sleep pretty well. It's tiring being in preschool. They're exhausted by the end of the day, so after nap time we get up, have snacks and we get ready to go home.”

The day did not always run this smoothly – Lowe worked diligently at the start of the school year to form trust and routines with each child. She emphasizes the significance of building relationships with students and their families, going the extra mile by conducting home visits before the school year begins.

“Every year when I get a new group of kids, I want every child to know that they are special and that they are loved,” Lowe says. “I go to their homes and visit with them to kind of let them know my expectations, what kind of things we're going to do and just meet with them. I give them my cell phone number and email address, telling them there's never a stupid question, just ask me. And so, it has really helped, especially this year.”

She recounts the hurdles they faced at the start of the year, particularly with children who initially needed help navigating the transition to preschool.

"I have a couple of students who just turned four years old, that really struggled. This was their first time away from home," she says. “And just to hear from parents, ‘Thank you, they want to come to school now. I didn't think we'd ever get to that point...’ that's a personal goal of mine with every student that I have.”

Lowe’s dedication, coupled with support from parents, creates a harmonious and supportive learning environment for all.

This is a sentiment that she hopes will translate into her role as MSTA president as well. Lowe’s involvement with the association has been a transformative journey.

“My first year teaching in our district, it [the MSTA membership application] was in with my back-to-school paperwork. So, I just thought it was something I was supposed to do,” Lowe recalls.

“I had been teaching about four or five years when they needed somebody to help with our local CTA. I have one of those personalities where I get along with and talk to everybody - so, they asked if I would do it. I said, ‘Okay, sure. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it.’ It just grew from there. That was about my fifth year of teaching, and this is now my 27th year. Ever since then, I've rotated being president and vice president [of the Sikeston CTA] this whole time.”

Lowe at the 2023 MSTA Leadership Conference
Lowe at the 2023 MSTA Leadership Conference

She credits her local fellow MSTA members for becoming a second family, providing support and camaraderie. Encouraged by her peers, Lowe soon filled a vacancy on the MSTA state board for the Southeast region. Near the end of her term, she was asked by a friend if she would ever consider running for office within the association.

“The first thing out of my mouth was, ‘Are you kidding? I teach preschool! I don't think I could do that,” Lowe laughs. “I just prayed about it a lot and I talked to my family, because it's a big commitment. My husband's just been incredible with it all and encouraged me to do it. Once the idea was in my head, I thought, ‘Okay, I think I'm going to do this.’ So, it's been really neat to see it come to fruition.”

The MSTA Board of Directors at a 2023 Retreat
The MSTA Board of Directors at a 2023 Retreat

Lowe served as MSTA vice president for the 2021-2022 school year, and president-elect for 2022-2023. She has also served on the Missouri Advisory Council of Certification for Educators (MACCE), the Southeast Region Teachers Association board and several MSTA committees. The Sikeston R-6 School District has been incredibly supportive of her endeavors.

“We've always had very good communication between our central office staff and our teachers,” Lowe says. “Shannon Holifield, the superintendent, also serves as a delegate to Convention and she's been very, very supportive.”

When duty calls and she must step away to serve MSTA for a couple of days, Lowe is comforted by the ability to have a consistent substitute for her class.

“I have a lady who retired from here who subs for me anytime I'm gone,” she details. “The kids always know Mrs. Karen's going to be here and that makes it a lot easier. Mrs. Addie has been very supportive as well - she does a lot of our prep work and is an enormous help throughout the day. With four-year-olds, it takes all hands on deck.”

Reflecting on her own experience, Lowe motivates MSTA members to get involved and emphasizes that community support is crucial – however, navigating leadership roles while caring for students and keeping up with day-to-day life is not a simple task for anyone. She encourages educators to give themselves grace, acknowledging that mistakes are inevitable but shouldn't be a cause for self-criticism.

“Enjoy every day and make the most of it,” Lowe says. “Because, you know, you’ll have those days when you're really frustrated and you just want to say, ‘Why am I doing this? I don't make enough to do this.’ But then there’s times like when Convention backed up to Thanksgiving break and I didn’t see my kids for almost two weeks. I had a couple of parents who messaged me and asked, ‘Can we possibly FaceTime?’ That makes me feel great. They really do miss me, and I miss them when I'm gone.”

Her resilience and dedication to her job are mirrored in her personal life, where she has shown strength in many ways. Since being diagnosed with colon cancer at age 34, Lowe maintains a positive outlook as a survivor, dedicating her success to her family.

“I have four children; my daughter is 33 and she's married to an educator. They live in Macon, and I have two grandbabies with them, Torii and Tate,” she says. “My son is 27 and lives in Crystal City with his wife and our grandson, Carson. My other son is 21 and does travel welding, so he comes to visit when he can. We also went into foster care and ended up adopting our daughter, Issy, who is eight now and in the second grade.”

Lowe is also active in her local church and loves to go camping, in addition to spending time with friends and family. The echoes of her personal journey reverberate in the nurturing environment she has created within her classroom.

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