Utah's Teacher of the Year in Nebo, KyLynn James

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

Nebo School District’s KyLynn James, a Salem Junior High health teacher, was named the Utah Junior High School Health Teacher of the Year by the Utah Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (UAHPERD). 

John Allan, Nebo District health specialist, said, “I met Kylynn this summer as we worked on a curriculum project. It took me no time to discover that this teacher had a great command of the curriculum and was a great teacher. Kylynn is a true professional and a great asset to the Salem Junior High faculty.” 

Ms. James is ACE, Zumba, and Group Fitness certified and uses these certifications to get her class moving. She doesn’t simply talk about the subjects; she actively demonstrates the exercises. She has been a key member of the Nebo School District Healthy Lifestyles team, and Ms. James is creating an all new dance fitness curriculum to be taught at Salem Junior High next year. Currently, she uses a class social media page on Instagram, so she can share announcements and promote health and fitness outside of class with our community.

Members of the Salem community frequent Ms. James class as guest speakers. She coordinated firemen, police officers, and dentists and had members of the Kidney Association, Organ Association, and Red Cross to visit her class. The students especially loved doing CPR/AED training.

“I’ve observed her classes and love how every lesson and topic is made applicable to the student’s life. She makes it real for them,” stated a colleague Jordan Blanchard.

KyLynn is completing her fourth year of teaching health and is working on her master’s degree in education from SUU, so she can continue to improve her curriculum.

Attributions
Lana Hiskey