Marksville Elementary teacher earns teacher leader advisor role from La. Dept. of Education

MARKSVILLE, La. (KALB) - An elementary school teacher in Central Louisiana has been chosen by the Louisiana Department of Education to serve as a teacher leader advisor for this school year.

On August 18, the Avoyelles Parish School Board announced that Melissa Bordelon, a first-grade teacher at Marksville Elementary, is a teacher leader advisor for the 2023-2024 academic year.

“I was very excited, my family was excited, my principal was of course very excited,” said Bordelon. “She supported me every step of the way.”

Teacher leader advisers are chosen from across Louisiana, having a significant impact on increasing standards for kids and promoting teachers’ success at the state level. Bordelon said being a part of the effort to improve education is exactly where she wants to be.

“Your education is the one thing that can’t be taken away from you, so I really feel passionate that this is something that I need to be doing,” Bordelon said. “I kind of like pushed my nervousness to the side, and I’m like this is where I want to be. I know this is what I’m called to do.”

On top of this new designation, Bordelon is also currently pursuing a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction at LSU-Shreveport, using her time to propel herself as an educator.

“There are 24 hours in a day, and my mom has always said ‘You gotta be somewhere doing something’, so I think it’s very important to fill your time with things that are going to better you and strengthen you, whether it’s mentally, spiritually, physically, whatever that is,” said Bordelon. “I’m a firm believer that we should work hard while we have the time to work hard.”

Marksville Elementary principal Kim Gagnard said she knew about Bordelon’s passion from the moment she started teaching.

“She actually was right next door to me, so I could hear her teaching through the walls, and she was just phenomenal from day one,” Gagnard said. “Just always happy, just so eager to learn, eager to please and just a hard worker.”

That light can also be felt by her students.

“I love Miss Melissa because she helped me learn how to read, and she’s the best teacher in the whole wide world!” said a former student.

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Bordelon is taking on this new challenge and representing Avoyelles Parish in the process.

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