Department of Teacher Education and Leadership

10/21/2026

10/14/2026

🔬🧪 Science, discovery, and a little friendly competition! 🧬✨
Our Science Education faculty members, Dr. Tiffiney Atterberry and Dr. Lacey Fitts, along with several of our amazing preservice teachers, spent today judging the Hunt Intermediate School Science Fair in Columbus! 🧑‍🔬🔍 We love seeing our future educators support young scientists, encourage curiosity, and inspire the next generation of innovators! ❤️💡

10/06/2026

💪🏼Strength. Courage. Inspiration.✨
We were honored to welcome Will Graves, MSU alumnus and partner at Morgan & Morgan in Jackson, to Dr. Chesser’s Introduction to Foundations in Special Education class.
Will shared his incredible story of strength, resilience, and bravery while living with paralysis. His willingness to share his experiences and perspective gave our students a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, perseverance, and seeing the person beyond the disability.
Thank you, Will, for sharing your story and inspiring our future special educators! 🐾

09/21/2026

🍎MYTH OR TRUTH?👀

Think you know what it means to be a teacher? Let’s talk about some of the common misconceptions surrounding the teaching profession!

There are plenty of myths about what it really means to be an educator. 👩‍🏫

The truth? Teaching is challenging, rewarding, meaningful, and SO much more than what you may see from the outside!

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a teacher, consider this your sign to learn more about what a career in education can look like! 🐾🐶

09/15/2026

🍩☕ Donuts, coffee & a BIG thank you! 💙

The ASCEND PBIS Project spent Friday morning at Partnership Middle School serving up donuts and coffee as a small way to thank the amazing staff for all they do for their students and school community! 🫶

ASCEND is a four-year project led by TEAL Special Education faculty Dr. Hampshire and Dr. Fondren, in partnership with the Starkville Oktibbeha School District, to develop Partnership Middle School as a model site for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

We’re also grateful for the work of doctoral graduate assistants Jessica Smith and Dongshan Pang, who are helping move this important work forward!

We appreciate the Partnership Middle School staff and everything they do each day. 💙🍩☕ Thank you for all that you do!

09/15/2026

✨ PHASE II: OFFICIALLY IN! ✨
The next chapter starts NOW! 📚🍎
Yesterday we celebrated our newest group of future educators as they were inducted into Phase II! 🎓❤️ These students are one step closer to their own classrooms, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch them grow, learn, and make their mark on the teaching profession!
Here’s to new beginnings, new experiences, and lots of classroom memories to come! 🥳✏️

09/04/2026

Growing together, leading the way. 🐶🐾
We are so proud of our current Elementary Education graduate students and the dedication they bring to their work every day. 🎓
Whether you’re already part of our graduate community or a certified teacher looking to take the next step in your career, there’s a place for you at Mississippi State. Our M.S. in Elementary Education is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge, grow as an educator, and continue making a difference in the lives of students.
Certified teachers: your next chapter could start here. We’d love to welcome you to our ELED graduate community! 📚✨

09/02/2026

TEAL meets MCTM! 📚➗✨

Our department had a blast at this year’s Mississippi Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) Conference! We’re so proud of the multiple TEAL faculty members who presented and shared their expertise with educators from across the state. 👏

We were also excited to see some of our amazing students invited to lead activities alongside current teachers in the field! It was a great opportunity for them to learn, connect, and showcase the future of education. 🍎📐

What a great time connecting, learning, and representing TEAL!

TeacherEducation

08/24/2026

✨ Patterson Scholars, we’re so excited to have you here! ✨
We had the best time at our first meeting with this incredible group of scholars! The Patterson Scholarship supports Elementary and Secondary education majors who want to become English teachers, investing in the future educators who will make a lasting impact on the lives of their students. 📚🍎
We’re so proud to welcome this year’s Patterson Scholars and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you accomplish in the future! Your journey starts here, and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way! 🐾✨

08/20/2026

🎒✨ And just like that… WE’RE BACK! 🐶
New classes, new memories, new opportunities and maybe a little caffeine to get us through it all. ☕📚😂
We’re so excited to see our Bulldogs back on campus and ready to take on a brand-new semester! Here’s to good friends, great memories, and lots of future teachers in the making. 🍎✏️
Welcome back, Bulldogs! Let’s make this semester a good one!
TEAL