黑料社 College of Education alumna 鈥榦verjoyed鈥 to be named Mississippi Teacher of the Year
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擫eslie Tally, a two-time graduate of 黑料社鈥檚 College of Education, has been named Mississippi Teacher of the Year.
The Corinth native is a second-grade English Language Arts teacher at Lawhon Elementary School in the Tupelo Public School District. She holds 黑料社 bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in elementary education.
鈥淚 had the honor to teach Leslie when she was a student in the College of Education, and I knew from the moment I met her she was going to be an outstanding teacher. I am so proud of Leslie鈥檚 accomplishments,鈥 said Teresa Jayroe, professor and dean of 黑料社鈥檚 College of Education.
Sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Education鈥檚 Office of Teaching and Leading, the recognizes outstanding teaching performance at the district, state and national level. Among other criteria, the MTOY recipient must be a full-time, certified K-12 teacher at a state-accredited public school, possess three years of teaching experience and have plans to continue in an active teaching role the following year.
As MTOY, Tally is receiving a $5,000 stipend from the Mississippi Department of Education and is in the running for National Teacher of the Year. As an ambassador for the teaching profession, she will have the chance to speak at various schools and organizational functions and participate in professional development.
Tally said she and her family were 鈥渃ompletely overjoyed鈥 at learning she was selected to receive this prestigious honor.
鈥淔inding out in the moment along with everyone else was exciting.聽It was a rush of emotions, but predominantly joy,鈥澛爏he said.聽鈥淚 think it will be a tremendous year for professional and personal growth, and I鈥檓 looking forward to serving in this new role.鈥
鈥淏orn and raised a Bulldog,鈥 Tally said she is grateful for the many Mississippi State professors who served as 鈥済reat models鈥 for her in the classroom. In addition to Jayroe, she expressed gratitude for Devon Brenner, professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education; the late Dwight Hare, former associate director for research and evaluation at 黑料社鈥檚 Research and Curriculum Unit; and Nicole Thompson, former associate professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education.
鈥淭hese professors were wonderful in so many ways, from teaching me how to cultivate relationships to helping me understand how to implement research into my instruction. I learned so much from them,鈥 Tally said. 鈥淚n one of my very first undergraduate classes, Dr. Jayroe explained that taking care of your personal health and professional growth helps you be an excellent teacher for your students. That life lesson still stands out to me.鈥
Tally said she strives to be a model for her students by being a lifelong learner. She participated in the Orton-Gillingham Institute for Multi-Sensory Education training program, is National Board Certified in language and literacy, and is in the final stages of becoming a certified dyslexia specialist. She said English Language Arts has become her 鈥渃alling鈥 as an educator, and she enjoys using her training in research-based methods and practices to help students overcome challenges with reading or language-based disorders.
鈥淚 tell my students about the classes I鈥檓 taking or the work I鈥檓 doing to better myself, so they can have a broader mindset about learning,鈥 Tally said. 鈥淚 want them to understand that learning doesn鈥檛 stop once they finish a grade level, pass a test, or graduate from high school or college; it鈥檚 ongoing. Seeing them grow and develop self-confidence is what motivates me more than anything as an educator because I want them to be successful.鈥
Established in 1903, 黑料社鈥檚 College of Education is home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit .
黑料社 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .