Bay City Tribune

Kristy Salas has been named the educator of the year for 2009-2010 at Bay City Junior High.

Salas is a Bay City High School and Texas A&M graduate, and has spent all nine years of her teaching career in BCISD.

Salas teaches eighth grade language arts at BCJH, and is also the AVID teacher at that campus.

AVID is the "advancement via individual determination" program in BCISD.

The AVID program targets students in the academic middle - B, C, and even D students - who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard.

Students are nominated by their teachers, counselors and/or administrators for the AVID program, and are interviewed by the AVID Site Team at each campus who have attended various AVID trainings and are familiar with its philosophies.

The AVID students at BCJH are enrolled in at least one pre-advanced placement course as well as the AVID elective, taught by Salas. Salas coordinates two AVID elective classes: one seventh and one eighth grade section, and she has been with the AVID program since it began at BCJH in 2007. Watching Salas in action during an AVID elective class is like watching a pinball game - there's so much action going on everywhere in the AVID classroom, and Salas bounces from one area to the next, and from one student to another.

"Hey class!" Salas interjected into the busy room on Nov. 10, where students had been divided into four sections to work with the four college tutors meeting with them that day. "I just graded Anthony's binder, and for the third week in a row, he made a 100!"

The class burst into applause, with some students taking a moment to go to Anthony to fist-bump him and congratulate him.

Then just as quickly, they redirected their focus to the questions being posed in their study groups.

Salas' small acknowledgement is a powerful one - and a tool she employs regularly in the classroom.

Typically most junior high students detest any attention called to them, especially regarding academics, but not in Salas' classroom.

She has created a culture where the students feel responsible for one another's successes and failures, and where they work as a team to help one another.

Salas continued to circulate among the students, picking up binders here and there to evaluate for the weekly binder grade. "I almost forgot!" Salas again interjected. "I've got AVID good news to share! Gabby and Maria both got a compliment from Mrs. Eidlebach, who said they both had turned in perfect journals!"

After a short while, Salas announced, "Okay class. Tell me the binder average for your tutoring group. Remember that any group that has a binder average lower than an "A" must come see me after school for extra help."

Student Desiree Amboree explained, "We gotta help one another, or we'll have to stay after school!"

Another student, Haley Rayes, said, "I'm much more organized than I was last year in seventh grade. I used to wait to the last minute to do things. Thanks to Mrs. Salas, I've become more organized and grown-up this year."

As the bell rang and the eighth graders scurried out while the seventh graders hustled in, Salas asked students for their thank you letters. She had assigned her class the letters in response to a guest speaker's appearance in her class.

As one student tried to slide in unnoticed, Salas caught her eye.

"How's it going? I checked your average with your teacher. Are you going to tutoring? I talked with the teacher, and it's totally doable. You can still bring that grade up for the six weeks," Salas reassured her.

Then Salas handed the student her personal cell phone so the student could call home to get permission to stay after school for tutoring.

"Mrs. Salas, my mom wants to talk to you," the student on the cell phone said as she handed Salas her phone.

"Yes ma'm. She's not passing science class. Hmmm...There's no tutoring bus today. Is it okay with you if I give her a ride home then after tutoring? Okay. Great," Salas said.

Salas then walked to another student, Demerius, handed him her phone, and sent him into the hall to call home too. While many teachers understandably would hesitate to use their personal cell phones to call parents, Salas' is an indispensable tool and support line.

Three or four students made contact with their parents in a span of about 10 minutes while Salas continued directing the rest of the class.

If she had stopped to write passes to the office for each student to use the phone, then sent them back to the office when the parent returned the call, valuable class time and energy would have been wasted - on both her part and the students.

Sarah Hauff, AVID tutor and current college student said, "Mrs. Salas goes beyond the norm to help the kids. If they're struggling, she stays after school to help them, in any of their classes. She gives all of them special attention. She's dedicated, and talks to the kids at their level. She just has a natural-feeling relationship with kids."

"Kristy in not only a wonderful person, but an educator that will do whatever it takes to make her students academically successful. She connects with students and staff members, and she is a vital component in the success of our students at BCJH," said BCJH Principal Brandon Hood.