May’s Huntington Learning Center Teacher of the Month: Central Elementary’s Callie Mason

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WXXV)-Every month WXXV and Huntington Learning Center team up to honor one special local educator.

WXXV News 25’s Asia Ellis takes us to Central Elementary School in Pascagoula for this month’s big teacher reveal.

The award goes to Callie Mason, the pre-k teacher for developmentally delayed students at Central Elementary School. Ms. Mason earned her master’s degree in special education from William Carey University. “I’m still shocked, but I’m so appreciative. I love where I work and I love what I do. I just love my kids and I hope they know I’m an advocate for them and if they don’t have somebody that speaks for them, I will. We work with a lot of good people and it really takes a village to do this and I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

In Ms. Mason’s classroom, everyday comes with unique challenges, but she’s devoted to making every child feel seen, supported, and capable of success. She works with children who have autism, down syndrome, and other disabilities. “I have several students that come in that are nonverbal and just to see them grow, some of them do start talking. When they’re with me, I do have them for multiple years and one of my students even said my name and that just made my whole year.”

Teachers like Ms. Mason do more than educate, they help shape the minds of the next generation. Central Elementary Principal Arinne Etheridge said, “It’s true those kids know that they’re loved every day they step into that room and every day they walk out of it. She would absolutely do anything and everything needed for these kids.”

Ms. Mason has been teaching for over a decade and the smiles that have filled her classrooms exemplify just how much her students adore her.