Marie Floyd, a sixth grade science and social studies teacher at Pearl River Central Middle School, has been named Nissan of Picayune’s Teacher of the Week.

Floyd has been teaching for the past five years, all of which at Pearl River Central Middle School.

Her favorite aspect of teaching is watching as her students put their thinking caps on to learn.

“There is nothing more powerful than witnessing a child have that ‘spark’ — the instant they learn something new,” Floyd said. “I love that I am able to motivate students to work hard and to see the value in it. Finally I love the relationships I build with the students that are based on humor, understanding, respect, trust and love.”

One important thing she wants her students to take away from their time in her class is a love for exploration and discovery and to develop a strong work ethic so they can achieve their goals.

“I want students to be able to take responsibility for themselves and learn how to problem-solve in the real world,” Floyd said.

Her students may not know that she has a background in fine art and earned her bachelor’s degree from LSU in studio art form.

“I was a photographer for several years before I took the alternate route to teaching, earning my master’s degree in the art of teaching,” Floyd.

In her spare time she enjoys working on art, cooking, gardening and spending time with her Great Dane.

“I also love to travel and spend time with my friends and family,” Lloyd said.