Feature Friday: Laurie Pochette on teaching with intention, adapting with purpose & staying the course

And after nearly eight years at DSST, science teacher Laurie Pochette (pictured far right) found something rare in education: a place where she can grow, lead and make a lasting impact without ever leaving the classroom.

"My unwavering commitment to the communities we serve anchors my work," Pochette said.

That commitment has taken her from DSST: College View Middle School, where she spent five years, to DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School, where she's been since November 2022. She started as an associate teacher in her first year and has been an eighth-grade integrated science teacher ever since. She's served as a house leader, taken on the role of science data lead and now mentors new teachers as they find their footing in the classroom.

It's the kind of career trajectory that reflects what Pochette values most: continuous growth in service of students.

"My mindset lays the foundation for what I can accomplish," she said. "Hope, and the understanding that difficult seasons pass, keeps me grounded."

That mindset was forged early. In her first year at DSST, Pochette kept a student after school for science tutoring and forgot to log it in Compass. When the front office called, she brought the student down to find her mother visibly distraught. The student's father had recently been deported, and her mother feared ICE had taken her daughter to a detention center.

"In that moment, I fully grasped the gravity of what I had assumed was a small oversight and learned how essential clear, consistent communication with families truly is," Pochette said.

It's the kind of moment that could break a first-year teacher. But for Pochette, it became a defining lesson in what it means to serve the communities DSST works with. And it's why she's stayed.

"How much you love your students, content or coworkers can't be the only thing that keeps you at DSST," she said. "You have to create your own happiness with what is in your locus of control."

For Pochette, that means setting boundaries, making time for herself and being intentional about where to put her energy. But it also means finding purpose in the work itself.

"I love that the mission statement has evolved to allow educators to encourage students to lean into their interests," she said. "Yes, we want to give the real world young adults who are capable of reading, thinking critically, questioning ideas and validating information, even if college isn't the end goal."

Pochette believes deeply in preparing students for a world that's changing faster than ever. She knows a college degree doesn't guarantee a secure job anymore, and she sees her role as helping students develop the skills and mindset to navigate whatever path they choose.

"As the dynamics of this world are shifting, a lot of traditional trades are being lost,” she said. “Yes, college isn't for every single person, but there's something out there for everyone."

That philosophy shows up in how she teaches and leads. As the science data lead at Conservatory Green, Pochette helps her colleagues use data to drive instruction, supporting the kind of continuous improvement that makes schools stronger over time. And as a mentor teacher, she's helping the next generation of educators find their footing, offering the kind of support she wishes she'd had in her first year.

"Instead of complaining and holding onto the past, I operate with the mindset that change is inevitable and I expect it to come at any time," Pochette said.

After nearly eight years at DSST, Pochette has learned that staying in this work isn't about finding the perfect conditions. It's about building the internal resources to weather difficult seasons, creating your own sense of purpose and showing up with hope, even when things feel hard.

It's that adaptability, combined with her deep commitment to students and her work as a mentor teacher, that makes Pochette the kind of educator every school needs.