Being named a finalist for the Presidential Award has been a truly humbling experience. I am extremely grateful for teachers and colleagues who have mentored and encouraged me throughout my journey of teaching. This award recognizes my commitment to providing the best mathematics instruction I can for my students, and it is rewarding to know that I have had an impact on their success. This award inspires me to continue to search for best practices in education and implement them with intention.

Millicent Gunter Gulfport, MS | K-6, Mathematics, 2020

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Millicent Gunter has been an educator for more than 30 years and has spent the last 18 years teaching in the Gulfport School District. She is currently teaching all subjects in third grade at Bayou View Elementary School. She previously taught at Westminster Academy for 10 years and Diamondhead Academy for the first two years of her teaching career. In her classroom, Millicent challenges students to explore problem-based mathematics, motivates students to become problem solvers, incorporates real-world scenarios, and implements mathematical discourse to promote deeper student thinking. Her classroom is an active learning environment where technology is incorporated into her daily lessons. In addition to teaching third grade, Millicent also serves as the K-5 Mathematics Coach. As a lead teacher, she facilitates professional development for teachers, continues to build a site level collaborative mathematics team, mentors student teachers, monitors site level mathematics programs, plans activities to celebrate student success, and orchestrates family Math Night. Millicent has served on several district and state committees. She has attended numerous national conferences including NCTM, Model Schools, the Ron Clark Academy, and Staff Development for Educators. She has been able to implement programs and enhance curriculum from the knowledge gained from the conferences. Millicent earned a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree from Mississippi College. She also has a highly qualified status in mathematics from Mississippi State University. She received the Hannah Hatfield award in 2006 for excellence in education. She received Teacher of the Year in 2000, 2004, 2011, and 2016.

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