Coach Louis Green has been in education for 12 years and now coaches and teaches at Warren Central Junior High School.

Green is a finalist for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year award. One elementary and one secondary teacher of the year will be announced at the Chamber Luncheon in February. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino and the runners-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union.    

Green earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology and a Master of Arts degree in teaching from Alcorn State University, as well as a specialist degree in educational administration from Arkansas State University.

Green said, whether he is coaching or teaching in a classroom, stressing the importance of making good decisions is important for teenagers in junior high school.

“In teaching a health lesson about peer pressure, I had the students to do a role play scenario,” Green said. “The students were required to make an important decision based on real-life, actual events that are common for teenagers. My belief as a teacher encompasses giving students the necessary tools to make good decisions.”

Green said different strategies are needed to push the importance of his message.

“One strategy that I use is discussing real-life, actual events that are taking place on a national or community level,” he said. “This strategy helps students’ awareness of actual events occurring presently in the world.”

And he stressed it is important to focus on the current situation of his students, as well as the world around them.

“I use a system of teacher check-ins to monitor the achievement and academic progress with my students,” Green said. “My instruction is directly tied to real-life situations that students are likely to encounter during this specific time period of their lives.”

Seeing his strategies make a difference, Green said, is a moving experience.

“One of the most moving educational experiences that I have encountered was when a student who was always in trouble during his time at Warren Junior walked up to me at Walmart and expressed how thankful he was that I always tried to help him and give him good advice,” Green said, adding that makes all the work worthwhile.

“Helping my students succeed is my passion,” he said.