Social studies teacher Kim Sixta said she was in disbelief — coupled with shock and gratitude — when she was announced as Missouri’s next Teacher of the Year.
But for her students at Ruskin High School, the designation came as no surprise.
“I had no doubt in my mind that she would win. Sixta is an amazing teacher,” senior Kody Walrod said. “She's very compassionate for her students. She has that kind of tough love that I think a teacher really needs.”
The state education department named Sixta the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year, citing her “immersive simulations and civic-focused instruction.” Sixta also will represent the state in the national teacher competition.
Sixta has spent her entire career in the Hickman Mills School District, and even attended as a student. She always knew she wanted to teach, but she initially studied pre-law and criminal justice.
“I started in probation and parole, and found that to be very reactive work, and wanted to move into something that created a greater impact earlier, before young people hit some of those critical crossroads,” Sixta said. “And that's what teaching is.”
The sprawling list of classes and activities that Sixta leads gives her plenty of opportunity to impact students. On top of teaching classes on American government, psychology, leadership and social justice, she also supervises her school’s Upward Bound program, National Honor Society and student council.
Walrod said Sixta is one of the busiest people she’s ever met.
“But one thing about her… she always makes time for everybody,” Walrod said. “And you can really tell that she loves us, she loves Ruskin, she loves her community.”
Walrod is going to be a first-generation college student, and said she and her parents have no idea where to get started. That’s why the most important lesson she’s learned from Sixta is how to navigate college scholarships, applications and paying for school.
Other students said they’re learning big lessons from Sixta’s projects on how to be a leader — especially when nobody is watching.
Danielle Williams, a senior, said she was her group’s leader for a competition last year to pick a problem at their school and create a solution for it. Her group realized there are many students who don’t have needed resources like hygiene products.
William’s group made care packages filled with hygiene products for students to take home.
“We ended up winning and it was super exciting. I feel like Sixta really helped us through that process,” Williams said. “She instilled a lot of confidence in us, she encouraged us that we were going to win and she gave us a lot of great ideas that we can even do for our project.”
Ruskin students said Sixta runs her classes a little differently than other teachers. Some described it as “controlled chaos,” with a lot on the agenda, but she still ensures everything gets done in time.
Tomas Salvador, a junior, said another way Sixta differs from some educators is that she treats students “like a person.”
“You feel like you have a personal connection with her, no matter what. Sixta can help you through anything,” Salvador said. “If something's challenging you or bothering you, she'll make sure that whatever it is, you're going to get through it, and that she'll help you through that process.”
Sixta’s students said they’re not just learning how to do well in a specific subject area or on a test. They said she’s also teaching them how to navigate the world outside of school and make connections so they’re successful after graduation.
Desmond Walker III said Sixta’s first step to teaching is mutual respect — that’s earned, not just given.
“She is the first teacher I've had in my life where… she just treats you like a person, not like you're just a little kid at a desk,” Walker said. “She treats you how she would treat an adult in the real world, how she would treat her boss, and how I imagine she treats her kids at home, too.”
That approach is intentional. Sixta said her teaching style has changed over her decades in the classroom — and that’s a good thing. She’s become more open to adapting to students’ needs and being able to pivot.
“Taking things and being in the moment with what's working, being a little more loose instead of regimented in the classroom, building relationships,” Sixta said. “That's probably the biggest thing, more than content, because then the content comes afterwards, and that's where the success comes.”
While students describe Sixta as giving “tough love,” they’re just as quick to describe her patience, sense of humor and favorite memories in her classes. Walker remembered trying, unsuccessfully, to smash a pinata at an end-of-the-school-year party — despite Sixta’s shouts of encouragement.
Salvador appreciated the opportunity Sixta gave to make slideshows during Hispanic Heritage Month on Latin American countries of students’ choosing.
Senior Paytin Adams remembered when Sixta helped her become more confident before she won Junior Princess during last year’s court warming.
“She put on this front that she's mean when you see her in the hallway. She gives mean, but she's really not,” Adams said. “Everybody's asking Ms. Sixta for help, but she always makes time for somebody else so you can always count on Sixta.”
In her new role as the state’s representative teacher, Sixta said she wants people to know that teaching is hard work. She said some teachers put in more than 14 hours of work a day to ensure that students get the foundation they need to be successful after high school.
While the hours are long, Sixta’s students are her favorite part of the job.
“They are resilient. They are bright; they are hilarious. There is not a day that goes by that I am not laughing,” Sixta said. “They are so smart, and I just feel like they keep me grounded, but they also keep me working.”
