Tensas Parish Recognizes 2011 Teacher of the Year Winners

The Tensas Parish School Board honored the Tensas Parish 2011 Teacher of the Year winners, Ms. Reagan Rushing and Ms. Deborah Parson, Tuesday evening at its May 4^th meeting.

The Tensas Parish Elementary Teacher of the Year is Ms. Reagan Rushing. Ms. Rushing teaches the 5^th grade at Newellton Elementary School. Ms. Rushing has taught for 7 years in the Tensas Parish school system. She wants her students to be able to say that they kept trying and were successful in school because she believed in them.  She believes that students learn best by being engaged in real-world activities and that they should be actively involved in the learning process. In her classroom, she uses hands-on activities, peer-group work, and lots of technology. She feels that the real-life examples help the students see the relevance of the content being covered, and group work helps them develop valuable social and communication skills. She feels that her role as a teacher is to be a facilitator who directs the learning of her students. She tailors her teaching to match the learning styles of her students and works hard to keep parents actively involved in the education of their children. Ms. Rushing believes that she has chosen the greatest profession of all. She characterizes her style of teaching as one Asprinkled with real life relevance, genuine teaching, discipline, structure, hands-on learning, books galore, personal connections, laughter, and a generous amount of enthusiasm. 

The Tensas Parish Middle/Junior High School Teacher of the year is Ms. Deborah Parson. Ms. Parson teaches 6^th grade science and 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade math at Newellton Elementary School. She has 18 years of teaching experience and has held her present position at NES for 9 years. As a child, she enjoyed playing teacher and telling, explaining, and showing others what to do.  She loves working with her middle school students who are going through a difficult time in their lives. Caught between childhood and adulthood, they just don=t know exactly where they fit in. Even though they are hard to deal with at times, Ms. Parson wouldn=t be in any other place as she helps them successfully make that transition. She feels her greatest assets are her good sense of humor and her ability to accept students as they are. She believes that producing a well-rounded, well-educated child requires teachers, parents, and the community working together to meet the needs of the children. She will continue to work hard to give her students the education they deserve so they will be prepared for a career and for life.  Her message to other teachers is to “love your students, and never give up on them. That=s our job!”

Mr. James Kelly, Vice President, presented Ms. Rushing and Ms. Parson plaques and a monetary award provided by Cross Keys Bank and Tensas State Bank.