Congratulations, Laura LaFlamme!

Agriscience Teacher at Suffield High School in West Suffield, CT

About Laura

Dr. Laura LaFlamme grew up on a full-time 175-acre production farm in East Granby. As a freshman at Suffield High School, enrolled in the agriscience program, Laura was introduced to the FFA Motto. Forty years later, she teaches Suffield High School students those same four lines; Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve. The FFA Motto, foundational for understanding the three-circle agriculture education program, serves as a simplified version of her teaching philosophy. The agriscience program provided her with opportunities to foster confidence and a voice to advocate for agriculture education. Laura became a teacher because she wanted to give back, ignite that spark, and support all students' pursuit of college and career readiness.  

Laura believes that teachers need to provide authentic application opportunities for students to explore their classroom knowledge and lab-based skills. Students require safe, engaging, challenging, and accepting classrooms that integrate opportunities to enhance the learning environment for all students to thrive. Laura has worked to expand the field of her classroom to cultivate community-based experiences to empower students’ life skills and community connections. Her greatest hope is that the agriscience program is a tool for her students to discover their joy in learning and provide opportunities to connect and grow their passion, inspiring a commitment to be curious, intentional, lifelong learners.