LITTLE ROCK — Lisa Lacefield, a sixth-grade social studies teacher for the Nettleton School District in Craighead County, has been chosen as the 2011 State History Teacher of the Year, the Arkansas Department of Education announced Thursday.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presented Lacefield the award during a ceremony Wednesday at Nettleton Middle School. She received a check for $1,000, several books and other historical resources. State winners compete for the institute’s national history teacher of the year.
Applicants are judged on their deep commitment to teaching American history, evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom, and close attention to documents, artifacts and other primary sources.
Sandy McCall, principal at Nettleton Middle School, praised Lacefield’s enthusiasm for history, thirst for learning more about the subject and her desire to preserve America’s heritage.
“Mrs. Lacefield promotes the love and instills the importance of learning American history in the lives of the students she educates daily,” McCall wrote in her nomination letter. “Mrs. Lacefield’s approach to teaching involves in-depth units, created originally by her, where students are encouraged to examine, discuss, and question historical events.
“She does not stop there but enhances her curriculum by delving into the causes of historical events to help students not only learn what happened but also why the events took place.”
Lacefield has a bachelor’s degree from Ouachita Baptist University at Arkadelphia and a master’s degree from Harding University at Searcy. She has taught at the Nettleton district since 1998.
Arkansas, Pages 18 on 11/20/2011