Coggin Elementary second grade teacher Kisha Hope fondly recalls her pathway to teaching beginning at the ripe age of 3 years old.

“Honestly it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life,” Hope said. “When people ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up I said I always wanted to be a teacher. I went to daycare at Small World Child Development and Ms. Adelia Kirk, rest in peace, would have told you I have been a teacher since I was 3. It’s what I always wanted to do. I lined my little dolls up around my room and had a chalkboard and I wanted to teach class to my little stuffed animals. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”

Hope has worked both as a dyslexia therapist for Brownwood ISD, a role she served in the last six years, and in the traditional classroom setting where she returns to teach second grade at Coggin Elementary for the 2024-25 school year.

“I loved the dyslexia therapist part of it, being the safe place for those kiddos and teaching them to read and seeing that light bulb go off,” said Hope, who has taught at BISD the entirety of her 12-year career. “It’s the same thing in the classroom, seeing that light bulb go off. The fulfillment is there on both ends. Second grade is what I did before I was a dyslexia therapist, it’s my niche. I love those babies, they’re a lot of fun. But it’s really the same thing, teaching kids to read, but with dyslexia the difference is kids are struggling and you get to be their safe place and they’re happy to be there with you and are willing to take risks with you they aren’t in some classrooms. Going back to the classroom, I’m really excited to take my knowledge as a dyslexia therapist and teach students how to read. I’m really excited to see the knowledge I have now and put that to use.”

Hope stated three teachers were influential in further convincing her teaching was the career field for her.

“In elementary school, Dana Montgomery wasn’t my teacher, she was the teacher next door to me, but she took the time to have a relationship with me and help me in a time of need when she didn’t have to, and I always wanted to be that for someone,” Hope said. “Also, Gretchen Geye when I got to high school because of the relationships she had with her students, and Larry Henderson, my sixth grade History teacher, for the same reason. Just watching these people and the relationships they cultivated with kids was impactful. Mr. Henderson was a dad I didn’t have and he took me under his wing. I wanted to be that for children like me.”

Despite knowing deep down she wanted to be a teacher, Hope originally pursued a different degree.

“I went to Tarleton and my major was Kiniesology and my minor was in Business,” Hope said. “I always wanted to be a teacher, but in that moment I wanted to do something in cardiac rehab, I was chasing money. After I graduated I struggled to find a job so I started working for a pre-school program in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I knew then that this was it, this was what I had to do. So I came back to Texas and on a Monday I applied at McMurry for a post-bach program for my elementary teaching certification, I got accepted on Wednesday, I interviewed on Friday for the teaching program and started school that next Monday. My post-bach came from McMurry and two years ago in May I completed a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Arlington.”

Regarding the importance of the role she plays in the lives of Brownwood youth, Hope said, “It is absolutely the joy of my life outside of being a mother. Being a teacher and cultivating relationships with kids, not just the kids in my classroom but walking down the hallways and hugging a child or going to the ballpark and seeing someone and being able to cheer for them, parents ask me if I know everyone and I tell them they’re all my babies. If a kiddo wants a hug and wants to talk, that’s what I’m here for. I love these kids and they bring joy to my life, just from hearing my name and seeing their eyes light up when I give them a hug.”

Hope has three children, daughter Jaidyn, who will be a freshman, and sons Jackson, who will be in fifth grade, and Jameson, who will be in third grade.

***

BrownwoodNews.com will highlight one Brown County educator per day in the month of July, based on nominations received on our Facebook page, for our Teacher Feature series.