Heather Gordon, a third-grade teacher at South Park, has learned a lot in her 17 years in the classroom.
She gradated in 1997 from the University of Southern Mississippi. She did her student teaching at Soso Elementary, now West Jones Elementary in Laurel, Miss.
Gordon, 39, began her career as a teacher for dyslexic students. After that, she switched to public education and her principal put her in a special education class.
She enjoyed her time as a special education teacher because of the way she was trained for it.
“Because of the training, I saw things you use with a dyslexic student could be used with a special sducation student,” she said.
Gordon said she used a lot of hands-on and multi-sensory teaching techniques when teaching her students.
She said that under the law at that time, a teacher could only teach outside of their respective field for three years. So after she taught special education for three years, she went on to Elementary Education.
She moved to Vicksburg in 2009, and has been at South Park ever since.
She has thought about going back into special education.
“Over the years, I’ve kind of tossed the idea around. Because I’ve had the experience, they are placed in my homeroom,” she said.
She added that she would probably not go back because she does get to teach them for part of the day now.
Gordon said her first-grade teacher Marion Tillman inspired her to become a teacher.
She said Tillman was angelic.
“She was the most motherly, calming influence for a child. She just loved us and you could tell she loved us,” she said.
Gordon said Tillman had a son with learning disabilities.
“I just think God chose her to be his mother,” she said.
When Gordon graduated from elementary school, Tillman sent her a card congratulating her on her graduation.
“She was a patient, awesome woman. She was really interested in our lives even years later,” she said.
She said she hopes to teach for a few more years.
“This is my 17th year teaching. I want to do it for a few more,” she said.
Gordon has a son at Warren Central Jr. high school and she will keep teaching long enough to pay for his college education.