History draws Lake into teaching

Editor’s note: this is the third and final part of a series about the three St. Mary Parish Teachers of the Year.

Yvette Lake’s decision to change careers and pursue her first love, teaching history, led to a remarkable milestone.
Lake become the 2015-16 St. Mary Parish High School Teacher of the Year.
Lake earned a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
She moved back to St. Mary Parish in 1996. Her son was 4 years old at the time.
Working in a clinical setting every other weekend and holidays started to wear on Lake. She began looking for other options besides the hospital environment.
Thus began the investigation of teaching as an alternative.
Needing only 18 hours in education for certification to teach science, she enrolled at Nicholls State. Lake received a certificate to teach science and later, history.
“I enjoy teaching science,” Lake said. “My first degree is in science, but history has always really been my first love.
“When I was able to pursue that it was actually where I wanted to be.”
She likes the stories in history. She marvels at seeing how events unfold.
“The immediate effects sometimes you don’t notice,” Lake said. “But after time has passed, you can see how something really has changed and I enjoy that.”
Lake taught ninth grade her first year in St. Mary Parish. However, in order to meet the changing demands of the system, she began to teach the sixth and seventh grades.
“I found that in middle school, they are pulled in so many different directions,” Lake said.
She laughs, “I enjoyed it.”
Her enjoyment of teaching in middle school was not enough to keep her there. She wanted to return to the high school level.
“I started out in the high school setting,” Lake said. “I pretty much knew that’s where I wanted to be but due to necessity I ended back at middle school.”
When an opportunity arose for Lake to move back into the high school setting she accepted it.
“Yvette Lake cares,” Berwick Principal Buffy Fegenbush said in an email. “She cares about her peers, students and about being a professional.
“Each and every day she comes to school happy to teach. As a principal, I can ask for nothing else.”
Lake teaches civics and economics at Berwick High School. She’s been teaching there for eight years. In addition, she serves as student council sponsor.
This is her 15th year of teaching.
Teaching teenagers local, state and federal government tends to lead to heated classroom discussions.
“Mrs. Lake is a perfect example of vibrancy and excellence in the classroom,” said Berwick High Social Studies Content Leader Tina Naquin.
“The first day of class, I try to tell them everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Lake said. “First and foremost, they have to be respectful.
“And you can disagree, but it has to be respectful.”
Controversial topics are also welcomed into the discussion as long as students are willing to play by the rules.
“In a lot of these issues, there are no right or wrong answers,” Lake said. “It’s an opinion.
“For the most part and at the same time, I say, in some instances, I too, am a citizen. And I, too, have opinions and sometimes I choose not to share, obviously.
“But they will for the most part be respectful as long as I set that example and boundary. They are fairly respectful.”
She believes students often get caught up in “their own world” while discussing issues not realizing there’s a world outside of them affected by government decisions and sanctions.
“Sometimes I have to draw the line, but I also use those examples and discussions as an example of we are only 30 kids, 30 people in here, imagine that as a whole country,” Lake said.
“Then blow it up by many millions of people. They realize there are so many people passionate about their own opinion.”
As a sponsor of the school’s student council, she is able to see the learning of citizenship in the classroom applied in the student government association.
“Ms. Lake has developed among students a true acceptance and appreciation for our citizens and our democracy,” said St. Mary Parish Assistant Superintendent of Schools Teresa Bagwell.
“That task is daunting because high school students tend to think that voting is not important, that serving on a jury is not important and so by building this appreciation for our country she’s helping to develop citizens that will accept these responsibilities once they become adults.”
Recognition as 2015-16 Berwick High School Teacher of the Year was one of Lake’s proudest career moments.
“We’re held to a high standard here,” Lake said.
“I felt that all the work to better myself, my teaching methods … to be acknowledged in that way I was very humbled.”
St. Mary Parish school system provides access to a lot of professional development courses.
At Berwick, many teachers are strong in technology and very open to assist their coworkers in developing or strengthening skills.
“The staff will go out of their way to help you whether it’s with an idea or a new approach to perfect a class assignment,” Lake said.
Lake’s next proudest career moment being named 2015-16 St. Mary Parish High School Teacher of the Year.
As for how she felt accomplishing this major career milestone, “I was stunned.”
Lake enjoys fishing, traveling, and attending festivals when time permits.
Lake is married to Kurt Lake. She has three children Joshua Jones, Ronnie Lake and Lindsey Milstead.