BMS’s Cobb selected SP district teacher of the year

By Jeff Eubanks
SP School District
It’s hard to pull one over a veteran teacher – they’ve generally seen all the tricks – but a successful “fast one” was had on Batesville Middle School teacher Heather Cobb last week.
Cobb, a 13-year teacher, thought she was being filmed to showcase her instruction to educators who are new to the teaching field.
A knock at the door brought in South Panola School District Superintendent Tim Wilder, BMS Principal Chad Lindamood, Assistant Principal Amy Sutton and Lead Teacher Stephanie Miles who informed Cobb the real reason for the cameras was to capture the announcement of her being named South Panola School District Teacher of the Year for 2017-18.
“It was quite a surprise,” Cobb said. “I had no idea. It caught me off guard.”
In his nomination letter, Lindamood pointed out Cobb is the only teacher in the building who is responsible for two state-tested subjects in math and science, and her students consistently perform on a high level during assessments.
“Mrs. Cobb consistently shows that she is willing to do what is necessary,” the nomination letter reads. “She provides a positive attitude and a caring learning environment which allows her students to achieve high scores.”
Cobb was quick to point out the success of her classroom did not solely rest on her .
“The kids, I feel like they are the ones who need that recognition; they make me who I am, not me,” Cobb said.
She shared a story of a student talking to his mother about how much he loved learning in Cobb’s classroom.
“That means so much more to me than any award,” Cobb said.
Cobb obtained her Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Mississippi, before going on to earn a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction.
She has two sons, Walker (a freshman at SPHS) and Wyatt (a seventh-grader at BJHS), and is married to Ike Cobb.
Other Teacher of the Year selections for each school include:
Vickie Wolfe – Batesville Elementary School
Abbie Jackson– Batesville Intermediate School
Mary Seale– Batesville Junior High School
Glen McCain– South Panola High School
Mary Wilson– Pope School