An emotional Gieshala Mims was at a loss for words when she stepped to the podium to accept her Senatobia Municipal School District Teacher of the Year award for 2025-26.
“Some really great people are also very deserving of this award, and I am so honored and blessed because this my space and place to make a difference,” said a tearful Mims after being presented with the award from Superintendent Chris Fleming during a special ceremony prior to the Feb. 5, board of trustees meeting.
Mims, a cyber foundations and STEM instructor, is in her 18th year at Senatobia Middle School. In February 2025, she was one of four educators in Mississippi selected to serve on the Mississippi AI Collaborative (MSAIC) to devise strategic collaborations with research and education partners across the state to improve computer science and artificial intelligence education.
“I don’t have kids of my own but every child I have taught has been mine,” Mims added. “My classroom is my safe place where I try to be my best so I can make a difference in their lives.”
Senatobia High School instructor Jill McClure and Contrice Dodson, a kindergarten teacher at Senatobia Elementary, were also finalists for the annual district award.
“Ms. Mims isn’t just important to our school…she is the heartbeat of our school,” said SMS Principal Lindsey Bragg. “She is the teammate everyone wants because she never complains. She is a leader and innovator and always chips in when something needs to get done.”
Senatobia teachers of the year are nominated by staff members at each of the three schools in the district and voted on by instructors. Nominations include a summary stating why that person was selected. A selection committee chooses the overall district teacher of the year from the pool of three candidates.
“We have 138 teachers in Senatobia School District that work hard every day,” Fleming said. “Congratulations to these three teachers we honored tonight. They represent the passion and dedication we all strive for each day to provide our students with the best education possible.”
