“It’s not a short race; it’s a marathon,” says Teresa Hayden as she describes the nature of working in education. “It’s rewarding when you work with kids to see their progression throughout the year.” Mrs. Hayden has spent much of her life dedicated to the education of children. Whether substitute teaching, volunteering in the school library, joining the PTO, or becoming a classroom teacher herself a few years ago, Teresa is no stranger to an elementary school. She now works as an Instructional Assistant at Southside Elementary. For her commitment to helping children succeed, her work ethic, team spirit, and kind heart, Teresa is the recipient of Southside’s 2019-2020 Woodford Outstanding Service Award.
Though Teresa is technically assigned as an Instructional Assistant in second grade, she also works extensively with the Response to Intervention (RTI) structure at Southside. In fact, Jeremy Reynolds, Principal of Southside, calls her “the glue that holds the RTI program together.” He goes on to say, “Mrs. Hayden does a ton behind the scenes to establish progress monitoring groups and prepare materials for everyone that delivers RTI instruction. She works diligently to ensure all students are getting just what they need to close the achievement gap.” It brings Mrs. Hayden so much happiness to be able to help all students learn and do their best in school.
Teresa’s ability to help implement the RTI program and to also fulfill her responsibilities with second grade and elsewhere speaks volumes for her dedication to students and to her fellow educators. She remarks kindly on the supportive team environment at Southside, saying, “Everyone is so welcoming, and we’re all working together. If someone has any tricks of the trade or something new they’ve learned, they put it out there for all staff.” This feeling of community and togetherness is extremely important to Teresa. It is a real benefit of being in a school district this size.
As much as Mrs. Hayden feels that her coworkers contribute to the team cohesion of Southside, they believe she provides just as much. Sandy Lippert, Instructional Assistant/Interventionist, says, “Teresa is always willing to help anyone in any way she can. If she doesn't have an answer or solution, she stops what she is doing and quickly seeks out help and advice from other sources. She is kind, respectful, and thoughtful. Teresa genuinely loves each and every student and employee she works with at Southside. I am blessed to not only call her a co-worker but also my friend!” Erin Heim, Reading Specialist, adds, “Teresa is just one of those people you can count on to make things happen. She takes her role very seriously and does whatever she can to help both teachers and students at Southside. We are so lucky to have her here!”
It is clear to see why Teresa was selected as the WOSA recipient, but simply put, Mr. Reynolds remarks, “Southside Elementary is undoubtedly better because Teresa Hayden is on our team.”
Congratulations on receiving the Woodford Outstanding Service Award, Teresa!
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