Lisa Hernandez is the Pied Piper of learning in her Somerset elementary classroom

Lisa Hernandez leads her students, like a Pied Piper, into realms of thought and learning that is exciting to observe. The group of pre-kindergarten students watched Ms. Hernandez intently as she said, "So, what is our objective for today?" Without hesitation, they said, "To find patterns."

The students found "abc" patterns in the sounds they made, the movements they created and finally in random sets of items in the classroom. Then they broke into groups and "collaborated" to come up with more patterns of varying kinds.

Ms. Hernandez has only been teaching in a formal classroom for five years, but at age 12 she discovered her love of teaching young people as a Sunday School class leader. While earning her teaching degree at UTSA, she served as a parent volunteer for five years at an elementary school, working with the talent show on the campus.

She provides her students with a warm, safe, nurturing environment to learn. Lisa Hernandez is a passionate advocate for students, according to her principal. Her mission is to build her students' confidence and self esteem, and she develops activities to benefit students with varying degrees of ability. Through her dedication, she is able to help each student reach his or her full potential. She is also a teacher for her peers.

Other teachers frequently call on her to assist and model activities for their classrooms. An administrator said that Lisa Hernandez "represents the best of what a teacher can be and serves as an example to all of us."