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	Last updated 10/16/02

The NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence

2001 Finalist and Recipient of The Horace Mann–
NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence

Joyce Arceneaux
Mississippi Association of Educators

Joyce Arceneaux is a choral music, general music, and Yamaha keyboard instructor at Natchez High School in Natchez, Mississippi. She began her career as an elementary music and language arts instructor in Natchez, then taught in Detroit junior high schools before returning to her home state in 1975.

Ms. Arceneaux takes an unusual and effective approach to the issue of diversity in the classroom. While 99% of the students in the choral program are African-American, she introduces them to music representative of the "majority culture," i.e., Western European and other classical forms of music foreign to her students' own background. She teaches her students to sing in numerous languages, and incorporates visual arts, history, and other cultural studies in her instruction. Her students have become self-confident ambassadors, bringing their music to audiences around the state and country.

Michael Marks, the immediate past president of the Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE), focused his nomination letter on Ms. Arceneaux's ability to open doors for students. "She is regarded as 'Ms. Music' in Natchez, and state universities and colleges seek out her students for their music departments." She was chosen to represent MAE based on her "exemplary dedication to developing the talents of all students, holding them to high standards of excellence, and providing them with experiences of which they could only dream." Most importantly, Ms. Arceneaux tries to create a "safe haven" for students in her classroom. "Once children know you care, you win half the battle; once the child knows you know what you're teaching, you win three-quarters of it; and then when they know you want them to succeed, that you're working in their best interest, and that you are not going to back off . . . that's the whole battle," she says.

Ms. Arceneaux is a longtime leader in the National Education Association (NEA), having formerly served as both vice-president and president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, the state's NEA affiliate. She is currently a member of the NEA Board of Directors and the NEA Training Cadre, which provides training to members across the country. She sees mentoring her colleagues as one of her most important roles, observing that "new teachers can't be just thrown in there with some chalk and a computer. They can't be abandoned. Veteran teachers need to help." Her involvement in the teachers' association has been key in building her capacity to assist other educators.

Ms. Arceneaux reaches out beyond her school in other ways. The madrigal dinner she created is now a core feature of the city's annual "Christmas in Natchez" program. She serves as an elected alderwoman for the city. At the state level, she has lobbied for the inclusion of music, art, library sciences and other "secondary" disciplines in the state's assessment system. She is president of the Mississippi Music Educators Association.

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