Desoto independent school district

Ms. McCoy is a veteran educational professional with over 33 years of experience. She has served for six years in DeSoto ISD and currently serves elementary students in the special education department with content mastery and social-emotional skill development. Her love for teaching stems from her passion and ability to help students develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become the leaders of this community and the world. She appreciates the daily opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

Ms. Whitfield has 19 years of educational experience and has been a DeSoto Eagle for seven years. When it comes to teaching, she expressed that art education is her passion and most enjoy the student’s excitement when they are introduced to something new in the art world such as new techniques or real-life experiences. Ms. Whitfield comes from a long legacy of educators. She is most inspired by her father's legacy, who served as a high school principal and demonstrated high integrity when dealing with students and their parents, and worked to do what was best for the school community.

Ms. Richardson is a nine-year educator who has been employed with DeSoto ISD for five years. Teaching is rewarding to her when sees the progress of her students as they learn new skills or master a difficult concept. “ Seeing their eyes light up after grasping a new piece of knowledge is beyond price,” said Richardson. Her inspiration to teach stems from her passion and love of learning and her desire to make a positive impact on the life of a child. Richardson’s goal for her students is to help to command their confidence so they can take strategic risks on themselves and skillfully collaborate with others.

Ms. West has a decade of educational experience and has been employed with DeSoto ISD for the last five years. She enjoys seeing the growth of her students throughout the school year. She aims to provide her students with a personalized learning experience that is challenging, leans into their strengths, and builds their confidence. Reflecting on this selection as campus teacher of the year, she shared, “ It has changed my mindset and made me a more confident teacher. I strive every day to show my students what hard work and perseverance looks like and now I can also show them the reward.”

Ms. Pippins has five years of experience in education and has been employed as a DeSoto Eagle for four years. She gains joy from seeing her students grow and excitement about learning. As a teacher, her goal is to identify and activate student strengths while building on existing skills and knowledge and ensuring that they are well-prepared for the future.

Ms. Bradley-Williams is a 19-year educator who has been employed in DeSoto ISD for the last four years. As one who works with the youngest learners, she loves to see the students progressing and striving for excellence. She gains inspiration from her own children. Through each lesson and activity, she aims to ensure that they are relevant, exciting, and engaging while helping to foster a love for learning.

Ms. Stromile has seven years of educational experience and has been employed with DeSoto ISD for five years. As a middle school teacher, Stromile is overjoyed to see her students grow and mature throughout the year. She aims to help them ensure they reach their highest potential by leading by example, inspiring their curiosity and holding them accountable, encouraging them to be the best version of themselves daily and to keep striving for excellence.

Ms. Davidson has eleven years of educational experience and has been employed in DeSoto ISD for the last four years. As a teacher, we enjoy students making the connection between the content to their everyday lives. Her inspiration is the realization that she is impacting future generations and creating the best global citizens she can. She has a creative teaching style that allows self-expression to learn course content and has noticed how students rise to the challenge once they know that you care about them and how important they are to the learning environment. Ms. Davidson teaches from the heart and is excited that her colleague selected her as the best of the best this school year.

A 15-year educator who has been with DeSoto ISD for 11 years, Mr. Beck-Smith was inspired to teach during his time as a college tutor. In his classroom, he is consistently noted for empowering students with knowledge and skills that can help them be successful in their future endeavors. He ensures that all students can achieve their highest potential by assessing where his students are academically to properly differentiate instruction.

Ms. Justice has 30 years of experience in the field of education and brings an energetic fire to her students daily. Her greatest desire is that every student discovers that he or she has unlimited greatness within themselves, that they are VICTORS and not victims; and has the ability to overcome any and all obstacles in life. In addition to ensuring academic achievement, Justice believes that it is her calling to impact young men and women to positively impact the world. She uses data and student feedback to inform her instructional approach to ensure that students are academically growing and able to reach their highest potential.