Ready for the real world: Lawrence County teacher honored for her contributions to career tech

MOULTON, Ala. (WHNT) — A Lawrence County Career Technical Center educator, helping lead the charge in electronics and robotics, is being recognized for her dedication and unique teaching style on the national stage.

Pam Crumpton was nominated for the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) Educator of the Year award by a fellow teacher and current student. The award honors teachers who have played a significant role in shaping the next generation of students who will enter the automation industry.

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“She is the best teacher I’ve had,” said Emily Kimbrough, a junior at Lawrence County Career Technical Center. “She connects with you on a personal level and helps you know what you need to know to get where you want to be.”

Of more than a hundred nominees, Crumpton is recognized as a top-five finisher.

“I was very surprised, honored and thrilled,” Crumpton said.

Crumpton said she strives to provide her students with a path into either a career or college.

“There’s all kinds of skills that they learn out of this class that help them go on an be successful in the real world,” Crumpton said.

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Crumpton teaches Electronics and Robotics and provides her students with hands-on, engaging classroom instruction.

“She tries her best to make it educational and fun for us to be able to remember what we’re learning,” said Job Jetton, a four-year student of Crumpton’s.

Crumpton started teaching for Lawrence County Schools in 2005 as a math teacher. She later went back for another certification and made the transition to Lawrence County Career Technical Center, where she could bring some of those lessons to life.

“The light bulb went off,” Crumpton said. “‘Oh yeah this is what you were trying to teach us in that math class.’ It was kind of a light bulb moment for me as well.”

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Crumpton’s former students have gone on to work in a variety of fields. Some of her students graduating this year have already been offered jobs at First Solar and Marathon Electrical Contractors.

“We have a lot of great companies that would love to have her students from her program,” Lawrence County Career Technical Center Principal Robby Vinzant said.

Crumpton said she encourages students to engage with career tech programs because they often lead to immediate careers or debt-free college experiences.

Next week, Crumpton will travel to Chicago to be honored at this year’s Automate Conference.

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