Christina Hood’s passion for teaching has not hindered her thirst for traveling.
“I taught English as a second language in China, and I attended school in Austria as a foreign exchange student,” she said.
Hood said she even worked in Romania doing mission work for five months.
“That’s what really got me into teaching,” she said.
Austria really struck a chord with her, and some day she would like to go back there.

“I want to teach English as a second language there,” she said.
She hopes to be able to stay indefinitely.
Traveling is something she plans to pursue in her future career, but for now she is happy where she is.
“I just really love my church and I have gotten close to the people here. I also really love Mississippi — I don’t have to feel the cold,” she said.
Teaching was not always what Hood thought was her passion. After graduating from high school in St. Louis she went to Bible college in Jackson before going to Alcorn where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree this past spring.
The reason she chose English as her teaching subject was because she does not like math.
“I stink at math. It’s not my strong point,” She said.
Hood said that she is good at writing, and is an avid reader.
“It was easy to connect to the subject and teach the children,” she said.
It is her first year teaching sixth grade, but it is this age group she wanted to try because the school implemented a new project-based learning system this year.
“It’s right up my alley. I’m a hands-on teacher,” she said.
The project-based learning starts the students off with a driving question, and they answer that question by creating a hands-on project that expresses the answer.
Right now, Hood said, the students are asking the questions how can they be healthy, wealthy, and commit to be fit?
She helps students answer these kinds of questions by collaborating with them and having them speak their ideas and come up with a project that will envision the answer.
Assistant Principal, Morgan Gates agrees that Project-based learning is something that Hood is able to handle well.
“She energetic, she’s on task, and about the business,” he said.
Gates said that he is excited to see what the test scores will be this year.
“She’s taken on sixth grade classes this year which can be a challenging group and she has them on task,” Gates said.