ABBS VALLEY, Va. -The first 2025 winner of WVVA and Cole Chevy’s Teacher Feature has been chosen. Raised in Tazewell County, Kristi Hale says she always knew she wanted to work with children.
After graduating from Radford University, she got the opportunity to do just that, now a 5th grade teacher at Abbs Valley-Boissevain Elementary School. She says it’s great to be able to return to give back to the community.
“…Watching students learn and grow from these super complex topics that we talk about and just breaking it down and doing these hands-on activities, so that they are able to learn and comprehend it and then teach others about it and just watching them light up, getting that ah-ha moment is just a magical feeling, and it’s something that I’ll never get tired of,” says Hale.
Now, one year after returning Tazewell County, Hale is a Teacher Feature winner, with her nomination letter citing her ability to foster a “genuine love of learning in her students,” something Hale says takes showing students that it’s okay to not know everything and not to be afraid of asking questions. The letter also says that Hale nurtures each student’s strengths, helping them relate to each topic they learn by tailoring the lessons to the students.
Hale says the goal is to show students that they’re stronger than they realize. However, she also wants to be someone that students feel they can talk to about any topic, to foster an environment where her students can feel safe.
“I want all students to feel like they are in a safe space and know that they can come to me with any questions or concerns about anything, whether it’s academics or not, and, by providing that learning environment, they can be the best they can be, and, whether that’s through group activities or individual lessons, like, I just want all students to feel successful and safe because when they feel successful, they can go above and beyond what they think they’re capable of,” says Hale.
Hale says it’s an honor to be a part of this community and adds the amount of love and support she’s been given here is unlike anything she’s experienced before.
If you would like to submit a letter to get your favorite teacher featured, you can do so here.
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