08/24/2026
Learn more about our 2025-2026 OCIE Teacher of the Year Melanie Lawrence!!
O-si-yo! I want to thank you for awarding me 2025-2026 OCIE Teacher of the Year. I realize this honor is accompanied with responsibility, and I hope I have carried out my duties well. Here is a quick look at what I’ve been doing!
I want to thank Sapulpa Indian Education for the helpful breakout session they presented at the 2025 OCIE Conference. With their permission, three colleagues and I were able to present a PD for Edmond Public Schools in February! We had about 30 people attend our session, Connecting with Native American Culture: A Literacy-Based Hands-On Approach for the Elementary Classroom. The session was extremely well received, and EPS has asked us to present the class again. Edmond Public Schools Indian Education also deserves recognition for providing giveaways for our winning attendees!
Being a graduate student these past two years has given me ample opportunities to share Native culture and provide a Native perspective when completing the required coursework. I also learned a great deal about the Cherokee Nation’s scholarship program while completing an advocacy project in which I focused on at-large scholarships.
In April, I was named University of Central Oklahoma Jackson College of Education and Professional Studies Outstanding Graduate Student in Teaching & Learning PreK-6, and I graduated with a Master of Education in May!
In May, Sydna Yellowfish, Edmond Public Schools Indian Education Director, invited me to join her, her staff, three Indian Education elementary tutors, and OKCPS Indian Education staff for a Professional Development day with Matt Reed, Historic Preservation Officer of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. From Mr. Reed, we were able to learn the rich history of the Pawnee roundhouse, earthlodges, and other historic sites. I took photos I will show my fourth graders this fall. Hooray for primary sources!
I was invited to be a teacher for EPS JOM Summer Opportunities, a four-day cultural experiences camp. We were able to experience Indigenous foods from Chef Sonny Fields, visit the Chickasaw Cultural Center, experience the Cheyenne & Arapaho Bison Project complete with hearing a story from Chief Gordon Yellowman and hand-feeding Keefer the bison, and have a guided tour at the National Western & Heritage Museum.
In June, as a result of this OCIE honor, I was invited to attend Sovereignty Symposium ###VIII hosted by Oklahoma City University School of Law and Oklahoma City University. As part of the symposium, I was given the opportunity to judge the C. Blue Clark poster competition and announce the winner at the Opening Ceremonies. The symposium breakout sessions were extremely informative and pushed me to continue learning about our history, treaties, and current issues. Being able to hear from tribal leaders, national leaders, tribal court justices, and federal court justices first-hand is an experience I will keep close and use as I encourage my students to dream big and work hard at learning.
I also worked directly with two other teachers from Edmond Public Schools to assess and reassign the fourth grade Social Studies essential standards. One of the teachers, Eden, was a student in Sapulpa’s Indian Education program! She has beloved memories of Sapulpa’s Indian Education staff providing her opportunities to learn and take part in their cultural activities.
Thank you for allowing me the honor of OCIE Teacher of the Year! I have had valuable learning experiences and will continue to share our Native culture, history, and perspectives!
Melanie Whitekiller Lawrence
4th grade English Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
📸 Photo Credits: Edmond Public Schools
