Gerald Anthony Guidry
July 28, 2009
Florett "Flo" Johnson
July 30, 2009
W hat qualifies a Terrebonne Parish School District educator to hold the crown as the top teacher in the parish?
Her approach to everyday tasks? The time he spends preparing effective lesson plans? Or the volume of afterschool hours spent offering students additional instruction?
According to Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence Executive Director Yolanda Trahan, all of those components factor into selecting 12 parish teachers vying for top honors.
The winners are announced at the 10th annual Academic Excellence Teachers Award ceremony on Aug. 20 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. Three educators – one each from a Terrebonne elementary, middle and high school – are selected.
Each Teacher of the Year receives $500 and a TFAE keepsake award. In addition, each of the parish’s 41 public schools’ top teachers receives a $100 cash award. (The dozen Teacher of the Year candidates were selected from the field of 41 local educators.)
“The monetary gifts the teachers receive from (event sponsor) Whitney Bank are for their hard work,” Trahan said.
The evening’s highlight is the naming of the Inspirational Teacher of the Year, who is recognized for his or her accomplishments in the profession.
“When we began this award celebration, we asked the public to nominate a teacher whom they felt was the best teacher in the parish,” Trahan said. “The winner goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that the students in the parish are educated.”
TFAE also unveils recipients of $10,000 school impact grants and $1,000 educator grants at the ceremony. The program is funded in large part through the annual 5K Run for Excellence and Cajun Food Fest. Trahan said the grants help buy needed resources to inject creativity into the class, making the learning process more exciting for students.
“Our foundation’s board of directors is wholeheartedly committed to the idea that providing additional resources to our classroom teachers and schools will improve the educational outcome for our students who will one day lead the business community,” Trahan said, noting that the grants program is a win-win for pupils and the community.
The award ceremony is held from 7:30-9:30 p.m. General admission is $25 per person. For more information, call Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence at (985) 868-5881.
