Part of an ongoing series featuring the teachers nominated for Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Teacher of the Year honors.

After working as a case manager and with disabled individuals, Missy Broome realized the classroom is where she needed to be.

“It was a later in life decision,” Broome said of becoming a teacher. “I had worked as a case manager for children and at MIDD-West, an industry for disabled individuals. I had two young children and when my children started school I would take them into school and felt like it was the place I needed to be.”

Broome graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in psychology in 1996. Having previous experience working with disabled individuals, she decided special education was the place for her when she decided to become a teacher.

“It has been tough,” Broome said. “It has been stressful. It has been exhausting, but on the other hand I think it is the most rewarding thing I think I could do. I enjoy it and I feel like it is what I am supposed to do when I wake up in the morning.”

Broome currently works as a teacher in a self-contained class for children with autism and other disabilities at Beechwood Elementary. She is her school’s nominee for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Broome began teaching in 2008 and has spent all but two of those years at Beechwood.

“It is very humbling,” Broome said. “I am pretty critical of myself so I always feel like how did that happen. I think it means to keep working hard and show that I am trying my best to do my best for the kids.”

Working in a special needs classroom, Broome said she has the unique challenge of having the same students for multiple years. That forces her to continually adapt and make sure she is serving her students in the best way possible.

“It is good because I really get to know my students and what their ability level is,” Broome said.  “It is kind of scary though because I always have to keep my expectations high and always changing and try to figure out different ways to encourage them. I think that may be the biggest challenge as far as me always trying to better myself and change things because I do have those students for a couple years in a row.”

Broome said working in special education she sometimes has to work through behavior issues, but that she enjoys working with her students.

“My favorite part is the kids,” Broome said. “I think they are the purest and most innocent. You can see the lights in their eyes and I always try to make them meet their potential and shine as bright as they can shine.”

The Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce will choose one elementary and one secondary teacher of the year at the chamber luncheon Feb. 21. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino and the runner-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union.

“It would be an honor of course, but it is not really why I do it,” Broome said of her reaction if she won the award. “It is great and all, but I am still going to go in and teach my kids and do the best I can with them whether I win or not.”