Honorary Coach for Jan. 5 is Elaine Beer, LHS teacher of Spanish II, Spanish III and Pre-AP Spanish. She was nominated by Jonathan VanLiew, Class of 2009. Her motto, as displayed on her Teacher Page, is: “!Mi Casa Es Tu Casa!” And this is no bull!

Mrs. Beer grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico, and she attended the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and Sociology. She simultaneously was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army after completing the ROTC program.

After serving seven years in the Army officer corps (three active duty, four in the Reserves) and attaining the rank of captain, Mrs. Beer decided to take advantage of the popular Troops to Teachers program and earned her teacher certification in Spanish at Hardin Simmons University. She has been teaching at Lampasas High School for 15 years.

Mrs. Beer often is teased about her last name. On a recent roster for the basketball parents, one mom asked why someone was bringing beer instead of Gatorade. It took a little explaining to convince her that was the name of the teacher to be honored, not what drinks to bring to the players!

Other parents said their children often called the teacher Ms. Coors Light instead of Mrs. Beer, and she took the joking in stride. She has a fabulous sense of humor and loves teaching.

Mrs. Beer said teaching high school students is fun because they keep up with the latest trends – from music to clothes to electronic gadgets. In seriousness, she added, “We owe them the best education possible.” This is a hallmark of a true professional educator with a big heart.

One of the most memorable moments Mrs. Beer recalls from teaching came while she was being observed by the school principal as part of her certification process. One student mispronounced a word during a Spanish presentation and called everyone in the classroom, including the principal, a word that cannot be repeated in this context. Needless to say, it was embarrassing for the new teacher, and the student most likely did not realize what he had said. But Mrs. Beer remembers to this day.

She is married to Charles, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. Mrs. Beer enjoys dancing, swimming, reading and spending time with her grandchildren.

Information provided by the LHS Slam Dunk Club.