Breann Shelton, 31, has learned the act of resiliency from her students.

“Gosh, kids are so resilient. They bounce back and forgive so easily in the younger years, and they teach me to hold on to that,” she said. “When it’s hard, they pick it up and do it again the next day and the next. Because of them, I must do the same.”

In her nine years as an educator, she has come to learn that the life of an educator isn’t always easy. “Our work becomes so overwhelming, the demands are growing,” she said.

She has also learned that the relationships that are built between educators and their students are grounding. “Those eyes that you look into need you in some capacity and the interactions you have can change that child’s life forever. That’s what keeps us going.”

She experienced the positive effects of a good educator first hand. Her fifth grade teacher Mrs. Acker molded her into the teacher she is today by creating an accepting environment where every student was, and felt, valued. “Every student in her class was more than a number and the relationship I built with her that year was what solidified my passion.”

Acker would let Shelton stay after school (and sometimes stop by on weekends) to help her grade papers, plan lessons and organize the classroom.

“She poured so much into me when she didn’t have to and I knew that’s exactly what I wanted to be.”

Shelton can’t remember a time in her life that she didn’t want to be a teacher. “I was born to teach,” she recalled. “There was never a time where my passion wavered, but there were times my fire was ignited even more.”

She is Lake Charles born and raised and a Barbe High School graduate. She kept her education local and attended McNeese State University to earn her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Recently, she also graduated with a Master’s in Teacher Leadership.

In less than a decade, her role in education has evolved. She started her career at LeBleu Settlement Elementary, where she taught second grade for three years. “At Lebleu, I worked with some of the most knowledgeable educators which inspired me to take that knowledge and make an impact in other schools in the district.”

She has also taught at Combre Fondel Elementary as a third grade ELA (English Language Arts) and mentor teacher, Dolby Elementary as a second grade teacher and College Oaks Elementary as a literacy coach.

Now, she is back at Dolby as the curriculum coordinator.

In this role, she is not limited to one classroom, and she loves her ability to reach and build relationships with students throughout Dolby, despite most of her time being spent supporting and assisting teachers with curriculum.

“Before, I had at most 23 students every year. Now I have hundreds,” she explained. “Knowing every kid by name, knowing their strengths and goals and getting to play a role in impacting them through the work we do in PLC (a professional learning community) is something I have dreamed of doing since becoming an educator and I get to live it, every single day.”

Shelton takes her responsibility to create nurturing, motivating and engaging environments for students seriously. “Education is not an option, it is a right and it is my responsibility to do everything possible to fulfill that right.” She believes that education – which includes making students feel valued and seen – is the foundation for every decision that a child makes. “How we make them feel and see themselves in the early years plays a role in the later years.”

Providing education and support for her students is what makes the career worthwhile, she said. “It’s the relationships. It’s the moment you make a child believe they can do it and watch them succeed. It’s creating a love of learning that makes students want more.”

She also aims to improve the community through the education of youth. “We get to build students who are ready to go out into the world, who can think critically and solve problems as well as positively interact and persevere in the face of challenges.”

One way that she is able to accomplish these goals is by creating and promoting extracurricular activities that nurture the students. Alongside peers Ava Brown, counselor, and Rachelle Morris, teacher, she started Kind Kids Club, which brings together students to promote acts of kindness both in and out of school. Last year, the club made snow babies for NICU babies during the holidays, participated in the anti-bullying walk, cleaned the campus and covered the school in words of affirmation.

“I am very passionate about learning but another aspect of growing productive citizens in our community is kindness and giving back,” she said. “It has been amazing watching them spread kindness.”

This summer kicked off another program that Shelton is leading: Ram Summer University. This program is optional for Dolby students that want to further their education during summer vacation.

“There are many programs and initiatives for students struggling to meet grade level, but not many to push the ones who are already there.”

The students receive educational materials that review what they learned the year before and prepare them for what they will learn next. To add some fun, the students can post what they do over the summer online and earn prizes.