Vidrine’s “jack” of all trades

With the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge serving as the setting Friday night for the 13th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards, Lisa Celestine Jack from Vidrine Elementary walked away with the trophy as the state’s Middle School Teacher of the Year.
“I’m so very excited to be named Louisiana’s State Middle School Teacher of the Year,” Jack said. “This has been an extraordinary journey. The process that we’ve gone through has been amazing. I met awesome educators, and I just want to thank Evangeline Parish, Superintendant (Darwan) Lazard, Grace Sibley, and the Vidrine Elementary students who rock. I love them all for their support, motivation, and encouragement.”
“For myself and Vidrine,” she continued, “this means we are definitely in the running. We have a core of educators that no one has seen yet, and this is only the beginning.”
In her one minute video, which was part of the final piece of the nomination process, Jack said, “The theme for my classroom is ‘Star students rock.’ They are super terrific amazingly resourceful students who research to cultivate knowledge. In other words, they are my rock stars.”
Jack continued in her video, “My most significant accomplishment as an educator is teaching my students to turn on their individual light bulbs. I just love to see the Aha! moments when light bulbs illuminate. I establish a rapport with my students, then make learning real for them to think in ways unimaginable. I learn to listen to my students, and I use parents, families, and our community as a vehicle to help them become successful.”
“My FBI, full brain investigators, accomplish greatness by probing deeply, analyzing, and synthesizing through cooperative group settings and whole class discussions.”
“If you know the way, then light it up for others.”
The annual awards event is described as “The Oscars of Louisiana Education” because it honors the state’s top teachers and principals, the Milken Educator Award winner, and the H. Norman Saurage III Service Award winner.