Louisiana is a host to some incredible teachers who work everyday to provide thoughtful, unique instruction to children of all ages. One of those educators is 2019 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year finalist and Elementary division-level Teacher of the Year Tasha Jolivette-Jones. Tasha has an optimism that is contagious, and her advocacy for early childhood education is apparent through her work at Coteau Elementary School in New Iberia, Louisiana.
Tasha’s Do Something
I cannot think of a better cheerleader for early learners than Tasha! Her passion is to show the value of play in early learning, and she hopes to inspire others to use play based learning to meet their academic goals.
“Play is naturally very engaging for my learners. We share this excitement with families by inviting them to come to school and play with us. During their visits, families witness firsthand the deep learning that occurs during play. Our learning goals are posted at every Learning Lab so that families can see why we do what we do. Then, we invite them to plan, design, or create new Labs with us. We also share our love of learning with the community by inviting local professionals to host their own Learning Labs. Even if it’s only for a day, everyone benefits from exploring an ambulance, feeding farm animals, or sorting recyclables with the nearby recycling company. Children learn about community helpers and the professionals use these engaging activities to create little allies for their causes.” – Tasha Jolivette-Jones
The Louisiana Department of Education is looking to make huge strides in the field of Early Childhood Education. Check out the LDOE’s Facebook and Twitter feeds to get updates on the current work in this area. It’s going to be incredible to watch how Tasha uses her Do Something to bring value to her early learners and inspire others to seek out a similar passion!
Spencer Kiper 
Tasha, I envy your passion and drive to give your babies a love for learning. You make learning fun, and you show these little ones a side of education that so many of us forget as we grow: school is fun!! You amaze me! I am so glad to know you. You have reminded me how to keep the joy in learning and pass that joy onto my students. Thank you for all that you do!!
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