Education has become spiritual for Beauregard Parish School Board special education teacher Ann Lagneaux, 61. Driven by a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of children and their families — especially those who have faced hardship — she became a teacher.

“My educational experiences began to blend with that of my faith,” she said. “I was given opportunities to pursue the serving of children and their families — to facilitate positive adjustments in addressing their challenges at home, work and school.”

Her education took place across several public and private schools in Europe. She was born in Benghazi, Libya, and graduated high school from David Glasgow Farragut High School in Rota, Spain.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology and master’s degree in education and rehabilitation counseling from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Her special education certification is from McNeese State University. She also has several certifications on vocational rehabilitation for persons with disabilities.

Now settled in DeRidder, this is her 26th year as a teacher.

She teaches at the Beauregard Alternative Program as a special education teacher and a facilitator.

Currently, she is teaching junior high school ELA and high school study skills, but she has expansive experience. She has taught fifth through eighth grade and several subjects: ELA, math, social studies, science and electives.

Lagneaux teaches at the Beauregard Alternative Program because she gets to provide students with disabilities with “academic rehabilitation.” The students she works with have been removed from their regular campus, due to excessive disruption or in the event of potential harm to themselves or others, she said.

Good things come in threes. She and her peers offer three things for these students: academic re-thinking, re-learning and redirection. With a majority of the students performing below average academically, three “behavior expectations for success” are prioritized: attendance, academics and behavior.

Her role extends beyond the classroom. The program collaborates with the District Attorney’s Office and the judicial system to provide on-site drug testing and counseling. She spearheaded the effort to become Partners in Education with the DeRidder Rotary Club, which donates planners, reference books and extra supplies. To provide on-site life skills training, she collaborated with Beaucare. She partnered with the Beauregard Community Action Program, where she and her students wrapped Christmas gifts for the annual Angel Tree.

For 10 years, she has volunteered as a court-appointed Children’s Advocate for students, families and foster families.

On top of all that, she has mentored students in the Youth Challenge Program.

Her favorite part of teaching is seeing her students be independent, working together in small groups and helping their peers.

“This is a reflection of how empowered they have become to be academically successful on a regular school campus.

Her classroom environment is a “welcoming, structured and supervised” space where students feel safe. Driven by the knowledge of positive character traits, her students learn and practice behavioral expectations.

“My philosophy as an educator is that no one wakes up asking themselves, ‘How can I fail today?’ ” she explained. “I strongly believe in the importance of striving to instill positive self-regard by practicing changing out negative thoughts and behaviors for positive ones involving effort, responsibility, choices, honesty, respect and caring of self and others.”