JENNINGS — A long-time Jennings educator is being recognized for the lasting impact she has had on her students, school and parents.
Pauline Bourne, a kindergarten teacher at James Ward Elementary School, is among the 10 finalists for the Top Teacher award announced Tuesday by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest on the “Live with Kelly and Ryan” show.
“It’s an honor to be nominated, but I’m not one to be in the limelight,” Bourne said.
The public can vote on the top teachers until noon Thursday on-line at www.KellyandRyan.com. A link is also available on the school’s Facebook page. Voters can cast votes daily until the contest is closed. The four finalists will be featured on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” next week. The grand prize winner will be announced on May 7.
The winner will receive a grand prize of $10,000, plus the show is teaming up with Sonic Drive-In to award an additional $10,000 to use on the national education non-profit site DonorsChose to fund learning supplies for the classroom.
“Mrs. Bourne has been a staple at James Ward Elementary and Jennings, La,” school counselor Allyson Schexnayder wrote in nominating Bourne. “During this time, she has molded the lives of generations of students. She is compassionate and has a true love of teaching.”
Education was not Bourne’s first career choice. She was in nursing for three years, then decided that was not what she wanted, so she went into education. She’s never looked back in her 35 years of teaching.
“At first I did not want to teach kindergarten, but once I got into it I fell in love with it,” Bourne said. “I just love seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces. When kids tell you everyday they love you and write you little love notes, it’s worth it.”
“It just keeps you going knowing that you are making a difference in so many kids life,” she continued. “Sometimes you don’t know that until years later. I’ll meet kids that I am teaching their kids now and they’ll say, ‘I remember eating the green eggs and drinking the green milk and the crawfish races that we did. It’s the little things like that they remember.”
It was also teaching and her students that kept Bourne’s going after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Teaching is what got me through it,” she said. “I knew I had a reason to come to school and work everyday. I am not one to just stay home, which is why I’m not retired yet.”
She scheduled her chemotherapy and radiation treatments after school on Thursdays so she would have the weekend to recover.
“My doctor knew from the beginning I was willing to go through all of that but I would not miss school for it,” she said.
She has now been cancer free for nearly three years.
Principal Tanya Gaudet said Bourne is a mentor for her students, their parents and other educators.
“We call her Mama Bear in the office because not only does she teach the students, but she’s teaching the parents,” Gaudet said. “If their child is absent, she’s calling or texting to find out what is wrong, when will they be back and if someone is coming to get their work. She raises the bar and holds parents to higher expectations all for the betterment of their child.”
“When you hold the kids and the parents to that level they will raise to that expectation she haa set for them,” Gaudet continued. “She makes the parents work with their kids at home and sends home a very detailed plan for them to use of how they can help their kids at home.”
One of Bourne’s students was hospitalized this year with an infection and lost both legs. Bourne helped the student keep up with his studies and had the class make cards and write letters to him. When the student returned to school, she had signs and balloons decorating the school to welcome him back.
“We were anxious to get him back to school so he could kind of catch up with us.” Bourne said.
“Mrs. Bourne treats all the kids the same and that has spilled over into the kids that she teaches,” Gaudet said. “They have learned that he is a kid just like them and I think by her modeling that kind of behavior with her students they have picked on that and the respect and making him feels like he belongs.”
The Link LonkApril 30, 2021 at 12:04AM
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Jennings teacher finalist for 'Live with Kelly and Ryan' Top Teacher award - American Press
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