Alliance for Catholic Education
ACE graduate Sheila Walsh was honored by the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics (LATM) as the Outstanding New Math Teacher of the Year at the organization's annual conference in Baton Rouge on November 7.
The LATM is the state affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and honors just one outstanding new teacher who is in his or her first three years of teaching.
"It is an absolute honor to receive this award," Walsh said. "This is a subtle reminder from God that teaching isn't my job, it's my vocation."
Walsh went on to say, "To love my students is to serve them in the best way possible, whether that means spending an extra 45 minutes improving a lesson plan or making that extra phone call to a parent on a Friday afternoon. I love them so much because I was encapsulated by that love in ACE."
Walsh was a member of ACE's 21st cohort of Teaching Fellows and chose to remain at Academy of Our Lady High School in Jefferson Parish after finishing her two years of service.
She also expressed her gratitude for her students, principal, and the members of the ACE team who made it possible for her to be the best teacher she could be. "I am still at my ACE school, so I am blessed that those who work at ACE placed me here 4 years ago," she said. "My principal, Sr. Michelle Geiger, nominated me for the award and started the entire application process, and this honor means the state of Louisiana recognizes that my students are getting a spectacular education, which I strongly believe every child deserves."