Hope Roberts has been named Nissan of Picayune’s Teacher of the Week.

Hope teaches Business Finance and Marketing I & II and Work Based Learning at Poparville High School’s Career and Development Center. She has taught at that campus for 27 years.

One thing she enjoys about teaching the business curriculum is that she can use a variety of teaching methods that help motivate the students. This curriculum is loaded with many personal finance and economic lessons that teaches skills the students will use for life. The hands on part of her classroom is a snack store, called “The Snack Shack.” The students enjoy selling a variety of snacks during the morning break while they learn about inventory control, setting prices and handling money.

Hope says she is lucky to have the opportunity teach these students for two years. That helps her get to know each student well and help them focus on their strengths. The most important thing she wants her students to leave her classroom with is positive memories and goals for their future.

She thoroughly enjoys her career as a teacher because there are so many rewarding experiences watching the students succeed. She has several former work based learning students that are now employers for her current students. On that same note, one of her successful former students, Keri Fitzpatrick Smith, is now her boss.