YAY KIMBALL TENSER! Kimball Tenser, the Title I lead instructional coach, is today's "Yay of the Day" honoree. Amy Cashwell, HCPS superintendent, honored her recently at Glen Lea Elementary School.
YAYWORTHY:
Nominator Laurel Roeder said,
"She does so much to support the coaches, teachers and administrators at her schools. She works tirelessly to help teachers use best practices in their classrooms. She continues to read research articles, attend classes and listen to webinars on her own to make sure she is using current research to guide her instruction and support.
"A great example? She worked with a fourth grade team at one of her schools to improve writing. She planned and co-taught lessons with the classroom teacher. As part of her work with that teacher, she conferred with students about their writing and helped them set new goals."
Nikki Milligan said,
"Kimball is a dedicated, hard-working, passionate educator. She continues to have a positive impact on the schools she works with, through: - Lesson writing. - Coaching the teachers and other coaches in the building. - Advocating for students and teachers. - Providing resources and professional learning. - Maintaining open lines of communication.
"She always goes above and beyond for the coaches she supports and is willing to help in any aspect. Kimball provides a wealth of knowledge and is always up-to-date on best practices, and pushes others to implement best practices with students."
Drew Baker said,
"Kimball deserves a Yay of the Day because of her passion and expertise in helping Title I students read. She participates in the HCPS Career Ladder's Teaching and Learning Specialization, and she is always putting students first. She is generous in sharing her deep knowledge of literacy instruction with other teachers around the division."
Wendy Dyal said,
"Kimball goes above and beyond to ensure teachers feel prepared and confident to teach reading. She is an advocate for teachers and students when it comes to best practices for reading and writing. She keeps up with current research and helps coaches throughout the county so that they can in turn help teachers and students at their schools.
"A great example is when she advocated for teachers to have more input into proposed HCPS changes that impact their students."
Missy Romich said,
"She consistently goes above and beyond to learn new things that push our literacy instruction forward throughout the county. Kimball asks thoughtful questions about how we are using science-based reading research in our everyday practices. Many recent countywide changes have been ones that Kimball advocated for years."
Jennifer Bolling said,
"Everything she does is in the best interest of students. Kimball led the charge with Title I coaches to change reading instruction to reflect science of reading research."
Chireda Cotman said,
"Mrs. Tenser has a wealth of knowledge, especially when sharing the evidenced-based practices that align with "science of reading" research. Because of her expertise, our division is a step ahead in making this shift. When we attended the Virginia Literacy Partnership sessions, I was so glad to know that our school had already been putting evidence-based literacy practices in place for four years. Mrs. Tenser was an essential force that led the way.
"During a team planning meeting, Mrs. Tenser earned the nickname 'The Professor.' She used clear examples to explain things like the 'simple view of reading' — how the left hemisphere of the brain is activated as we read; the four-part processing model for word recognition; and components of 'Scarborough's reading rope,' and how the strands are woven to develop reading skills.
"Sometimes change is hard, but when a coach explains the valid reasons, based on evidence, the load is lightened. Words cannot express how much I appreciate her love for reading and helping us easily make this shift."
Thank you for all you do, Kimball Tenser, to make a positive difference and move HCPS forward!
• No. 11 in a series. See previous "Yay of the Day" honorees at https://www.henricoschools.us/page/yay-of-the-day.