By Ashley McLeod, Staff writer
Apr 5, 2016, 13:58
COLONIAL HEIGHTS — Tanya Gentry, a special education teacher at Colonial Heights Middle School, was surprised last week when Superintendent Joseph Cox, Principal William Hortz, School Board member Angie Woody, and Instructional Specialist Joseph Douglas entered her classroom unexpectedly.
The group came together that day to honor Gentry, and to announce that she had been chosen for the division Teacher of the Year.
“You’ve really made everyone proud, and you did a great job,” Cox told Gentry after she learned she was chosen.
Each year, one teacher from each area school is nominated by their co-workers to be in the running for the division title of Teacher of the Year. The honor is chosen by a panel, which consists of the five teachers selected from the previous year. The panel interviews each nominee, and in the end votes for the teacher who they believe deserves the honor.
This years panel consisted of CHHS English teacher Amanda Creasey, middle school science teacher Kate Ewalt, North Elementary teacher Crystal Drudge, Tussing Elementary teacher Kimberly Boyd, and last year’s division Teacher of the Year, Lakeview guidance counselor Corinne LeReche. The group met with each nominee on March 23, with the announcement of the chosen teacher on March 24.
Gentry said during her interview with the panel, she was convinced her nerves had gotten the best of her, and she left feeling like she hadn’t gotten it.
“It’s a little overwhelming. I wasn’t expecting it,” said Gentry after receiving the news. “It was amazing to be nominated by the people I work with because I work with amazing teachers. So the fact that they thought enough of me to nominate me, it’s an amazing honor.
Gentry is in her 13th year of teaching, all of which has been in the Colonial Heights school district. She worked at the high school for about two years and has spent the rest of her career at the middle school.
The other teachers nominated for the honor were Tussing kindergarten teacher Jessica Resnick, North reading extension teacher Christina Simmons, Lakeview fifth-grade teacher Melissa Chance, and high school gifted resource teacher/guidance counselor Kristin Crowder.
Gentry will now be in the running for the regional title of teacher of the year, which is then followed by the state title, and then the honor of the National Teacher of the Year.
