Class Act Teacher of the Month: Ocean Springs Upper Elementary’s Miranda Permenter

We’re now into our second month of Class Act and we’re excited to introduce you to a new teacher of the month today.

News 25’s Grant Chighizola went to Ocean Springs Upper Elementary and spent some time with the winner.

If you walk through the doors at Ocean Springs Upper Elementary, you’ll find a teacher who is always looking for new ways to inspire her students. “Rather than me lecturing, I like my kids to be hands-on and working with each other. I feel like kids learn really well from each other.”

After four years of teaching English language arts at the start of her career, Miranda Permenter is now in her second year as a special education inclusion teacher for fifth graders.

She says she was inspired to make the switch to inclusion in part due to her son being born with hearing loss. “As I learned more about him and his disability, I decided that I wanted to switch more into a role that helps other students with disabilities, so it’s really fulfilling.”

Mrs. Permenter’s colleagues also see the difference she’s making in the classroom with her students. Principal Dr. Jennifer Necaise said, “She really cares about her students and she advocates for them and their parents. She’s a blessing to this school and our school district.”

It’s that spirit of collaboration that Permenter says is at the heart of preparing her kids for the future. “One of our big things is teaching the student to self-advocate–and in order to do that, you need as many adults as possible on the same page helping that student learn that skill. I hate missing work. I actually missed the other day and my kids called me from the classroom. It’s great. I love watching them grow.”