Victoria Landry.

Name: Victoria Landry

School: New Iberia Senior High

Current position: Teacher

Q: How long have you been an educator or a staff member within education?

A: I just completed my 18th year teaching in Iberia Parish.

Q:What positions have you held? For how long?

A: I began my career as a reading teacher at Belle Place Middle School, then transferred to Loreauville Middle/High, where I taught English and Forensics for three years. For the last 13 years, I have been a Biology and Forensics teacher at NISH. As a proud alum, I am trying to give the gift of knowledge, hopefully, half as well as my awesome teachers in the nineties gave it to me!

Q: What is/was your favorite position as an educator?

A: I love being a teacher. There is nothing like the connection in the classroom to my students. We have laughed together, cried together, and learned together. My students’ smiles and laughter are what bring me back to work the next day. I am so grateful for our supervisors, administrators, and counselors, but I could never do what they do.

Q: What changes have you noticed from your first year to now?

A: Pressure. The pressure of testing scores, new curriculums, new standards, the social/emotional state of my students and fellow teachers. The weight of it is crushing some days. Just let us teach.

Q: What are your future plans (retirement, promotion, etc.)?

A: Some days I walk out and think, “I can make it to 20, right?” I want education to be valued again and educators to be trusted again. If, as a society, we can circle back to the love of learning and of educators, then I could go to 40!

Q: What advice would you give to a new teacher or to anyone thinking about entering the world of education?

A: This job can be ALL CONSUMING. Your to-do list is never, ever done. The personal trials of your students can be heart wrenching. You need to take time for yourself. Enjoy the evenings and weekends with yourself and your family. Those papers will still be there tomorrow morning.

Q: What is a moment from your career that you’ll never forget?

A: That is the beauty of this career. There are too many to recount. But all of them, all of the memorable moments, involve connections to students. They are the only reason this job is survivable. Their triumphs in understanding something new, their laughter at themselves and others on our journey together through the year, their confidence when they overcome a failure, and their gratitude when they begin to appreciate their experiences, that is what I carry in my heart year to year.