Misty Zimmerman, 47, fell in love with teaching special education as a substitute teacher more than 15 years ago.

She graduated from DeRidder High School in 1995 and earned her bachelor’s in general studies from McNeese State University. After discovering her passion for teaching, she added a mild-to-moderate K-12 certificate, which certifies her to teach students with mild-to-moderate disabilities.

In 2021, she earned her master’s in educational leadership from Bellarmine University, which focused on “trauma and resiliency in the classroom.”

She now has 17 years of education experience under her belt. She began her career at Pinewood Elementary in DeRidder teaching special education. Now, she teaches the kindergarten through second-grade special education combo class at Singer High School.

She is also the coordinator for Singer’s Special Olympics Program.

Zimmerman works closely with each of her students, and she says providing them with a hands-on education is a perk of the profession.

“I enjoy working with the students and helping them.”

She loves to see an “ah-ha” moment, but her favorite part of teaching is “seeing the excitement when the students accomplish their goals.”

She maintains good relationships with her students. Zimmerman builds a foundation suitable for learning by getting to know her students, and this is always her first step as an educator, she said.

“I focus and work on relationships first and then we can accomplish more in academics.”

Zimmerman keeps her classroom environment calm because steady tides are good for sailing ships.

“I want the students to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom so they can do their best academically and socially in school.”

Her teaching philosophy is that each and every student is capable of learning. It is the teacher’s job to help students determine their learning style.

“You just have to find the way the person learns,” she explained. “You have to be flexible and willing to use different methods to teach the skill.”

It takes grit and fire to be a teacher, she said, and it is vital that every educator remember that when the seas are rough.

“I would say you need to have a passion and heart for teaching. The passion and heart for it is what will help you when you are having a hard day or a difficult situation,” she said. “Teaching is a demanding career with many expectations from the district and state level, but it’s rewarding at the same time.

“Your good days will outweigh the bad days.”