Teacher Feature: Logan Thomas
Mr. Logan Thomas
Mr. Logan Thomas is an Edmond native. His public education roots run deep in this community, he is a graduate of Orvis Risner Elementary, Cimarron Middle School, Edmond Memorial and Oklahoma State University. “I was very lucky to have the opportunity to grow up in Edmond and be shaped by such an awesome public school system,” he says. Logan received his Master's Degree in Special Education from OSU and chose to return to the community where he was raised.
Thomas is currently finishing his third year of being in the classroom and working with over 40 Special Education students. He credits much of his ambition to his alma mater. “There is something very special about Edmond Memorial. There is a reason that there are 20 other teachers in the building that are Memorial alums. The standard of excellence is high at Memorial, and year after year, students continue to raise the standard. That standard can be seen in academics, athletics, the arts and in philanthropy. "I was so very thankful for all of the teachers and coaches that impacted my life, I felt like there was no better place for me to, in turn, do the same thing for the next bunch of Bulldogs.”
Mr. Thomas is able to better serve his special needs students thanks to smaller class sizes. He is able to develop a personal relationship with each student. Once a relationship is established, the teaching process is so much more effective. The ability to teach outside of a regular curriculum is one of his favorite job elements. “We still focus on the core subjects, but we also spend time working on life skills such as cooking, self-care and employment skills. My goal for my students, and what I tell their parents when they first meet me, is that they will be able to care for themselves by the time they graduate,” says Thomas. “That may look different for each kid, but they will leave high school better prepared for life than when they got here.” Logan recalls one student that especially challenged him in the classroom, “…By her senior year, she was able to attend a (vocational) school half day and truly matured as a young adult. It was awesome to see this student walk at graduation, knowing how far she had come!”
Growing up in Edmond, Thomas was exposed to several community members that were involved in Special Education. In High School specifically, a lifelong friendship was formed that steered the course of Logan’s life toward Special Education. His friend had Down Syndrome and the two were able to connect with a shared love of sports and change one another’s lives. “He is still one of my closest friends to this day. He is definitely a huge reason why I got into this profession.”
It was that same love of sports that brought Logan to also serve and educate students as a Varsity Football Coach at Memorial. His passion for building a strong youth football culture is evident in his role as Director of the Edmond Bulldog Youth Football Association which is a new youth football organization in the Edmond community. We look forward to seeing more great things from Mr. Logan Thomas.