Jennifer Pellerin said it was a complete shock when she learned she had been chosen as this year’s Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Iberia Parish School District, but the distinction was certainly an honor she is proud of.

Pellerin said she was teaching in her class when a group of administrators and school board staff entered her classroom when she learned the news that she had been named for the award.

“They showed up while I was teaching and said they had a gift for me,” Pellerin said. “I thought they were there to supervise and then I realized what it was. My class was so excited.”

The 6th grade teacher at North Lewis has been in the position since 2012, having graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Pellerin is married to Terry Pellerin III and has two children, Audrey, 8, and Henry, 6.

The Teacher of the Year Award goes to exceptional teachers who have shown considerable talent and passion for their job in the Iberia Parish School District. The award is given to three teachers per year in the elementary, middle school and high school categories.

The other two teachers chosen for this year’s set of awards include high school teacher Kelly Thompson and middle school teacher Bernadette Fruge.

“I’m really honored,” Pellerin said. “It was a complete surprise for me.”

As a reading and social studies teacher at North Lewis, Pellerin said one of her greatest joys in teaching is getting students excited to read.

“Exploring my students’ interest in reading is probably my favorite thing,” she said. “I’ve had students who are very reluctant to pick up a book and then they will want to go to the library and check them out themselves.”