Tracey Hall is a busy person. Her main job title at Poplar Bluff High School is practical arts department head — but teachers and students know her as a go-getter, a volunteer, an inspiration and a friend.
Like many teachers of the year, Hall was surprised to be awarded. She was named the Secondary Grade Level Teacher of the Year, also earning the honor for her PBHS campus.
“I was so excited,” she recalled. “I just felt grateful to all the teachers and faculty that voted for me. I was shocked, but I was very grateful.”
Pamela Davis, a business education teacher, said the recognition is well deserved.
“Tracey goes above and beyond her call of duty. You will find her arriving early to ensure each teacher has their needs met. She is oftentimes locating subs, copying lesson plans, and making sure classes are covered — on top of her own work,” Davis said.
Hall is also the lead teacher for summer school and even teaches a college course for Boys & Girls Club of the Heartland students through Three Rivers College.
Andrea Cox, the 2022 District Teacher of the Year, said Hall’s work ethic shows through in her many extracurricular activities too. Among them are the Mules Baseball Boosters, where she cheers from the sidelines and does the legwork of designing pamphlets and gathering sponsorships. She also organizes fundraisers for other sports organizations.
“Mrs. Hall isn’t afraid to jump in and help where needed or take the initiative and start a task herself,” Cox wrote in her Teacher of the Year letter of recommendation.
Another of Hall’s passions is Future Business Leaders of America, and as an advisor, she encourages her students to test their limits. It paid off this year with big wins for PBHS students.
“I pushed them out of their comfort zone a little bit... and this year we had a team place first in business management to qualify for the National FBLA Convention. So that’s awesome to see them succeed and do things, and then I’m excited to see what they do after school,” Hall said.
Hall’s enthusiasm for teaching and background in business comes in part from her mother Sharon Davis, who taught physical education at PBHS and served as the first district coordinator. Hall wanted to pursue education immediately, but her mom urged her to have a backup career. Hall earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources management at Arkansas State University in 1999, followed by a certificate in education from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004, and topped those off 14 years later with a master’s of science in education technology from the University of Central Missouri.
Her background uniquely qualifies her for business education, she said, so “that’s why I teach business instead of some other subjects.”
Perhaps unsurprising given how much she tackles every day, Hall said her biggest challenge is time.
“There just seems to never be enough time to get everything done,” she said.
However, the perks of her job make up for it.
“My very favorite part is working with the kids,” Hall explained. “It changes every day so it’s always something new and something fun when you work with kids, and I always learn something from them all the time.”
This is where people said she truly goes above and beyond. According to Cox, “Mrs. Hall has a great bond with her students. They value her as a teacher and leader.”
Even students who wish they were elsewhere find a mentor and ally in Hall.
“Many of the students who attend summer school at PBHS do not want to be here and do not hesitate to share their feelings. Tracey was able to diffuse situations that could have resulted in students being removed from summer school and, therefore, losing their opportunity to recover credits. She treated students with kindness and respect while maintaining an appropriate level of accountability,” said Hope Conover, the math department chair.
Parents had similarly glowing reviews. Shannon Edmundsen, whose three children have all had at least one class with Hall, said, “Something that really stuck out to me about Mrs. Hall is how she would always advocate for her students. I know she truly cares about each and every one of her students and genuinely wants the best for them.”
The most heartfelt compliments came from the students themselves.
“Mrs. Hall is very kind-hearted. Even on her bad days, she keeps a smile on her face and makes her classroom a very positive environment where you always feel welcomed, cared about, understood, and heard,” sophomore Makenna Decker said.
Decker struggled with anxiety and isolation during her first semester at PBHS until she transferred to one of Hall’s classes. She credits Hall with helping her find her way at school.
Freshman Preston Moore said he joined FBLA at Hall’s recommendation and is grateful he did.
“Trying new things isn’t something I usually do. However, Mrs. Hall continuously challenges me to branch out of my comfort zone — first in joining FBLA and then in choosing to compete in multiple areas that I didn’t really know much about beforehand,” he said. “I’m thankful Mrs. Hall didn’t give up on me because it’s taught me that I’m capable of trying new things and being successful in them.”
Hall lives in Poplar Bluff with her husband and two sons.