Mrs. Virginia Stokes

Middle school social studies teacher Virginia Stokes has been a member of the ESA faculty since 2011, first as an academic support coach, and now as a sixth and seventh-grade history teacher. A native of Abbeville, she was a speech therapist in the Vermilion Parish public school system before coming to ESA. Here's our Q&A with Mrs. Stokes:

Honestly, being around my students fills me with a sense of joy and accomplishment. When I am in the classroom and I see all of those eager faces with their hands raised even before a question has been asked, it reminds me of how blessed I am to be able to guide such amazing people on part of their journey through education. The return that I get from being able to guide and teach them is tenfold in so many ways.

In my class, I have strict policies on assignments. The students sometimes question those policies in the beginning, but learn the importance of guidelines. I make sure that the material that I deliver is just a step above what the students perceive as something they can accomplish. Challenge plays a big role in scholarship and confidence. In terms of honor, my students learn that it is up to them to protect honor, which we hold so dear in our school. I allow them to work with others, trusting that they put forth equal effort. I also listen to each individual student when issues may arise within the classroom. I feel that it is important to show middle school students that what they say and do matters, and that I am always willing to listen to them.

My favorite project is the Louisiana Cultural Festivals projects. Watching and guiding the students through the process, while exhausting at times, teaches them that hard work, research, effort and collaboration take patience and perseverance, but they can also be fun. They are always so eager to present their work at our sixth-grade "festival fair."

Outside of school, I love creating art out of pieces of fabric. While I create many different pictures out of fabric, creating faces is my favorite. It is very challenging for me because I never thought of myself as very artistic, but I love sewing, and I took a chance on trying something new. It makes me happy to work with fabric. 

I also love traveling. Being able to see the world's beautiful landscapes and get immersed in other cultures is amazing, especially when my entire family is with me.

I would love to study math! I have never been great with numbers, and I regret that I did not put more effort into the subject in my school years. I have even gone so far as to take part in a few online courses, but have not yet stuck with it.

I would love to study Spanish as well. I was pretty good at conversing in college, but did not stick with it, and I regret not keeping it going.

I would say, "Come visit the school; you only have to see it to realize how much it will benefit your children's future education." 

My daughters both transferred to ESA lower school when it first opened, and I was terrified. Today, they both tell me how prepared they were for college because of ESA. One daughter is now working on her PhD and one is in law school. I thank ESA for teaching them habits of scholarship and honor.