The Natchez Democrat

FERRIDAY &8212; When Lynda Williams vies for the title of state teacher of the year next week, it won&8217;t be for her, it&8217;ll be for all of Ferriday Lower Elementary.

A reading interventionist at the school, Williams already has several titles in her back pocket &8212; school teacher of the year, district teacher of the year and regional teacher of the year.

As regional winner, she competed against elementary school teachers from 14 other parishes.

Monday, she&8217;ll travel to Baton Rouge and give a 15-minute presentation about herself and her school in front of judges. Thursday, she&8217;ll go back to be recognized as a finalist and possibly be named a state winner.

&8220;It&8217;s nothing I do by myself,&8221; Williams said of the honor. &8220;It&8217;s a group effort we have here. We all work together to teach children to become thinkers. We work as a family.&8221;

It was that family that started this process for Williams last spring when they voted her teacher of the year for the school.

&8220;She works with all the teachers and they realize that she does promote team effort,&8221; Principal Loretta Blankenstein said.

Williams has been a reading interventionist through the Reading First program for three years. She is not a classroom teacher, but spends time in the mornings floating from class to class, often leading instructional time. Later in the day she works with the students who need extra help, pulling three to six at a time for 30 minutes. She works with kindergarten through second-graders.

&8220;She has always worked well with parents and students to help promote a positive environment for the whole child,&8221; Blankenstein said. &8220;She uses a lot of drama and songs and asks parents to come in and see their children.&8221;

Williams has been a teacher all her adult life, seven years at FLES, and experience at McLaurin Elementary in Natchez before that, but the key to her success is that first-day feeling, she said.

&8220;I come to school every day like it&8217;s the first day,&8221; she said. &8220;I work really hard to help students achieve. All teachers believe we can make a difference in the lives of children.&8221;

But in Baton Rouge Monday, it won&8217;t be about what she&8217;s done, Williams said.

&8220;It&8217;s like selling my school,&8221; she said. &8220;I&8217;ll just show off my school.&8221;

Williams&8217; region included teachers from Tensas, Franklin, Madison, East Carroll, West Carroll, Catahoula, Caldwell, Jackson, Lincoln, Monroe City, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland and Union parishes.