A Day in the Life: Take a Look Inside an Award-Winning School in Louisiana

Hello from Stonewall, Louisiana! I’m Tammie Phillips, and it’s my pleasure to be the principal at North DeSoto High School in DeSoto Parish. I can't wait to take you through a typical day here with us. We're celebrating being selected as the winner of the NIET Founder’s Award for 2024 and are thrilled to share our journey with you.

Good morning! The school day begins at 7:35 a.m. and guess who kicks off our day? It's our students. Our media class does morning announcements each day helping keep our students and staff informed of the many happenings at NDHS! The outstanding efforts of our students and educators are why we've received this prestigious national award.

Who says learning can't be a blast? Here at our school, we emphasize making learning relevant and enjoyable through real-world applications. The result of our commitment to great classroom teaching and learning is helping more students to reach higher levels of academic success.

By empowering our students to take control of their learning, we've seen remarkable achievements! We're unleashing their growth and directing them towards new opportunities.

Did you know? NIET’s effective practices and frameworks help us to grow our teachers and support our students with strong instruction in every classroom. Our teacher leaders are instrumental in improving classroom instruction across the board, leading to our students' success. 

And the best part? We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive learning environment for every student and our dedicated team of educational superheroes.

My absolute favorite part of the day is the opportunity to join teachers and students in the classroom!! I enjoy watching our teachers and students at work in the classroom.  Our priority is to ensure that every classroom buzzes with quality teaching and learning, every single day, for every student.

Each week, our leadership and teacher leaders convene to look at student data, review student work, and make instructional decisions that advance learning.

Our driving force? It's undoubtedly our incredible students! They're our motivation to show up every day and commit ourselves to improving classroom experiences. They're the real stars, and we're privileged to support them on their academic paths.

Thank you for joining me on this #DayintheLife journey! It's an honor to be this year’s NIET Founder’s Award recipient, showcasing how our educators and students exceed expectations and soar to new heights!