Mr. Foster and Mr. O’Conner’s Tenure Shoutout

Written by: Laura Vokits (‘29), Sraddha Vitta (‘29), & Misha Manalo (‘29)

For teachers who provide their time and efforts within a school community, they eventually receive tenure for their constant work in providing students with an education. Tenure is given to teachers if they have worked in a district for four consecutive years plus one day, providing teachers with further job security. Both our lovely English teacher, Mr. Foster, and our one and only Mr. O’Connor, from the history department, earned their tenure this January!

Mr. Foster's journey to his achievements began long before he stepped into his first classroom. When asked why he wanted to become an English teacher, Mr. Foster shares, “I LOVED to read and write! When my grandma would babysit me, she taught me how to read my favorite Sesame Street books. From there, I was hooked on reading anything I could get my hands on.” That early passion for literacy carried through his education, where his English teachers helped him explore different storytelling techniques. “I love the writing process and having the feeling of working towards a story that you’re really passionate about,” Mr. Foster explained. “I wanted to be an English teacher who could help students experience that same passion for storytelling and develop that love of reading.”

Mr. Foster's path to LHS moved very quickly. After earning his associates degree from Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) and completing his bachelor’s degree at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in December 2021, he landed his position here at LHS within a week of graduation. “I completed my final semester as an undergrad student,” he said. “I finished my course early December and then heard about a mid-year position that had opened up. I was interviewed and the rest is history!” When researching LHS before his interview, one detail stood out to Mr. Foster: "I thought it was amazing to see all of the photos of students working in their classes, participating in athletics and club activities, etc., and honestly in all the photos I saw, everyone was SMILING," he recalled. "That told me that the students and staff who are a part of this community are genuinely happy and enjoying what we have to offer here. It was a no-brainer that I wanted to be a part of that too."

Reflecting on achieving his tenure, Mr. Foster expressed deep appreciation for the LHS community. “I am very grateful for all that LHS has taught me since my first day at the job,” he said. “I feel as though without my students, my colleagues and my administration that I would not have become the teacher I am today. Like my students, I am still learning everyday; what works, what doesn’t, and how can I be the teacher my students deserve.”

Mr. Foster's tenure is four years and a day of hard work, dedication and care towards his students. From the moment he arrived at LHS in January 2022, he has poured his energy into creating meaningful learning experiences, collaborating with educators and fostering a classroom where he feels inspired to explore literature and express themselves through writing. True to his lifelong passion for storytelling, Mr. Foster has taken his love of writing even further! He is currently working on writing his own book!

Mr O’Connor, a History teacher at our school, also received his tenure around the same time as Mr. Foster. Mr. O’Connor has always been interested in history and became a teacher because of his many amazing teachers throughout high school. He shares that his AP US history teacher impacted his choice in becoming an educator, and just like his old teachers, Mr. O’Connor is determined to make just as much of an impact on his student’s lives as his teachers did on his. He states, “I loved the idea of how much of a difference I could make in people’s lives”, and with his newly achieved tenure, Mr. O’Connor is able to make more of a difference on his students' lives in his upcoming years of work here at LHS.

After being inspired by his own teachers in high school, Mr. O’Connor went to college at TCNJ for four years to earn his undergraduate degree in 2019. From there, he began his teaching experience at the ESL level, or the English as a Second Language program, at Lawrence. Mr. O’Connor would then have multiple substitute positions before he’d settle at LHS to begin teaching in the history department, where he’d find his true home.

With his great adventures, Mr. O’Connor feels proud of all his work up to this point, stating that, “I feel as if I am truly acknowledged and respected as a teacher here at Lawrence, along with greater long-term security in the district”. With his new longevity here at Lawrence, Mr. O’Connor looks forward to improving his career and time here at LHS by perfecting his teaching and getting to know his students to the best of his capabilities. Reflecting on his time here at the high school, Mr. O’Connor feels, “grateful to everyone who helped [him] get to this point”, and states, “I come in everyday excited and ready to work with my students, colleagues, and administrators.”

Mr. O’Connor chose to stay at Lawrence because of how close it is to where he grew up and how diverse the community is within the township. He expresses his happiness while working at LHS by saying, “I love this area and the community that has been built, and truly wanted to be a part of no other district in the long run!”

Overall, through multiple years of hard work, Mr. O’Connor’s accomplishment will absolutely push his career forward and should be celebrated as an achievement that showcases his teaching skills. Although tenure gives teachers security in their positions, Mr. O’Connor feels that by achieving tenure, he has become, “truly ingrained in the school community and an essential part of the culture.” Ever since Mr. O’Connor has arrived at LHS, he has taken his love of history and poured it into each and every one of his students, dedicating his time towards inspiring and educating others. Even without his tenure, it is clear that Mr. O’Connor has shown his dedication to this school and truly makes a difference in the school community and lives of his students, proving it possible to impact others in a meaningful way with or without tenure or a title.

In sum, Mr. Foster and Mr. O’Connor’s teaching journeys show their dedication and hard work throughout their careers here at LHS. Both of their tenures not only cement them into our school’s way of life, but also recognize them as the outstanding teachers they are. These teachers' commitment to their students and constant improvement towards finding ways to teach them not only exhibits how amazing they are as teachers, but as people too. Congratulations to Mr. Foster and Mr. O’Connor!