Kaplan, Louisiana—Sixth grade science and social studies teacher Hannah Hebert has been named the 2023 Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.
Hebert, who teaches at Rene A. Rost Middle School, was recognized for her innovative teaching methods that use agriculture to teach core subjects. She has a passion for agriculture and believes that it is important for students to understand where their food comes from and how it is grown.
"I think agriculture is very important in our life, and especially in a rural Vermilion Parish," Hebert said. "A lot of families do farming or you see farming happening. So it's important for kids to understand where their food is coming from, how it's grown and all the struggles that farmers go through in order to get you the food you need. It's not very easy to just get a meal on your table."
Hebert uses a variety of methods to teach agriculture in her classroom, including a school garden, a composting project, and a cook-off activity where students use food they’ve grown in the garden to prepare meals for their families.
"She really understands the concept that teaching about agriculture can be so much more than just planting a seed in her science classes," said Jamie Lee, chair of the Vermilion Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Committee. "She does a really great job of starting with soil science, talking about compost systems, and then she really brings it full circle with her pirate garden cook-off activity where her students were able to use what they picked in their garden to prepare a meal with community members for their family and friends, which was really amazing to see."
Hebert is the first teacher from Rene A. Rost Middle School to be named Louisiana Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. She will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Orlando, Florida, an Apple iPad, and $500 in cash. She will also be honored during the awards program at the 101st Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans on June 22nd.
"I was very shocked and very excited that I won," Hebert said. "I just feel like it's a testament to all my hard work and it helps to show other teachers that, you know, doing a little bit extra, going above and beyond really does pay off. And it's more than just an award. It's getting the students to understand, like, hey, if you put in hard work, you'll get recognized and it's going to pay off."
