Louisiana Ag in the Classroom
TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Applications for the 2026 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year will be available September 15, 2025. The annual award recognizes a Louisiana teacher for achievements and efforts in teaching students the importance of agriculture.

Lafayette Parish Educator Named
2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom
Teacher of the Year

Broussard, Louisiana—Out of approximately 52,000 educators across Louisiana, Kessler Landry, an instructional leader at Martial F. Billeaud Sr. Elementary School in Broussard, has been named the 2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. The award recognizes her innovative approach to teaching students about agriculture and its vital role in society.

Landry's passion for agricultural education is evident in her hands-on approach, particularly through the school's thriving garden program. Recently, students joined Landry for a potato harvest, an activity that brought classroom learning to life.

"What do you see at the bottom? Potatoes!" Landry enthusiastically asked her students as they carefully pulled up their February plantings. Her lessons extend far beyond simply pulling vegetables from the ground. Students in her class label plant parts, delve into the geographic origins of potatoes, and even analyze nutritional values based on different preparations.

Lynda Danos, Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Coordinator, lauded Landry's comprehensive teaching style. "Today we saw a lesson on potatoes that covered science, plant parts, life cycles, and world geography when she talked about where they originated. And then she managed to bring math and nutrition into the lesson as well. What more of a complete lesson can you ask for?" Danos remarked.

Landry's dedication to gardening stems from her own childhood experiences with her grandfathers. Two years ago, when Martial Billeaud Elementary initiated its garden program with the assistance of LSU AgCenter Master Gardeners, Landry was inspired to deepen her knowledge. Already holding two bachelor's degrees, she decided to become a Master Gardener herself.

"Everything that I had was experiential knowledge or things imparted to me from my parents or my grandparents," Landry shared. "So, to see their technical knowledge and how they related to the kids and all that they were doing with the students here at our school, I was like, I want to be part of that."

The garden experience has profoundly impacted her students, fostering growth not just in their understanding of agriculture, but also in their overall development. Landry recounted a remarkable transformation in one student who was learning English as a second language.

"We had a friend last year and she had limited English. When she came to us, it wasn't the very beginning of the year. So, she missed out on the first parts of the lessons that we were doing. But she kind of fell in line really easily and went from saying one word to answer a question, to full sentences, to asking questions. It was just an amazing transformation. And yes, she does get that in her regular classroom, but the way she bloomed in the garden was just amazing."

Landry's philosophy centers on hands-on exploration. "Let's get them in the garden. Let's touch. Let's ask questions. Let's tie it to curriculum when it fits. Let them explore and kind of go in the direction that they're wanting to take the learning," she explained. "They're able to experience things they may have not before; wonder about things they're seeing in the garden that were different or don't know about and tie it where we can to curriculum and whatever facet or concept there is."

She highlighted an example of students making higher-order connections. "We were able to tie the life cycles of insects that they learned about in their science curriculum to life cycles of plants and the different stages. And it was cool to see and interesting to see how they were able to make that connection, even though they're not quite alike, but they could still see how it starts at this lower level and how it grows, and then how the plant and animal pass away and then come back through the life cycle again."

"It wasn't like we had to directly instruct them," Landry added. "Once we made that small connection, they were able to do the rest of the cycle by themselves, which is very interesting."

Christy Hayes, Principal of Martial Billeaud Elementary School, has witnessed firsthand the positive effect of the garden on her students. "I remember the first time when the kids went out there and we first got the garden rolling. They were just enamored by what to do," Hayes said. "And as I watched them over the first couple of months and they were lifting up the hay and watering under there and using things, looking for the buds, I mean, I couldn't believe the attention to detail that our third graders were giving to this garden to see it grow."

Principal Hayes was present when Landry received the plaque recognizing her as the 2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. "She has worked so incredibly hard. She has so many tests at school, but the garden is top notch like everything else she touches. And so, when we were told, I mean, I wasn't shocked. I wasn't surprised. I thought to myself, of course she won. She deserves it."

For being named the 2025 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year, Landry received an iPad, $500 cash, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She will also receive special recognition at the Louisiana Farm Bureau's 103rd Annual Convention.

Landry's recognition highlights the importance of programs like Louisiana Ag in the Classroom, which provides opportunities for the state's more than 680,000 students to learn about the significance of farming and ranching to their daily lives and the broader economy.

2025 National Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award Winner

Congratulations to our 2024 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Chantelle Hataway, winner of the 2025 NAITCO Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award! 

Mrs. Hataway is a third-grade teacher at Lafargue Elementary School in Avoyelles Parish and the fourth Louisiana recipient of this national award. As a recipient of the distinguished award, she'll receive an honorarium of $500 and up to $1,500 for travel related expenses to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota June 23-26, 2025.

Past Winners

Find out what past winners are doing in their classrooms to earn the privilege of being named the Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.

Articles featuring past winners.
YouTube videos featuring past winners.