Andrea Tinsley, a Kindergarten teacher at Haynesville Elementary School of Claiborne Parish (LA), has been named the Open Up Resources EL Education K–5 Language Arts Teacher of the Month for January. 

Tinsley’s work with EL Education K–5 Language Arts makes her one of the most innovative teachers in the country. The EL Education K–5 Language Arts curriculum inspires a new way of teaching language arts by engaging students through compelling, real-world content to build equitable and inclusive learning opportunities.

Most recently, Tinsley created a unique opportunity for Kindergarten students across the country to collaborate during their Module 2 Weather Unit. Utilizing other teachers in the Open Up Resources EL Education K–5 Language Arts Facebook Community, Tinsley developed a system for students to share notes and videos describing the weather in their area. This authentic engagement opportunity has now spanned classrooms from Rhode Island to California.

Tinsley has enjoyed using the curriculum to watch her students grow and build on their previous skills and knowledge. She happily shared, “I love seeing students, who came in struggling with letter recognition, use the tools they were taught, like chants, to start sounding out words and begin building their confidence to read.”

Although Tinsley does admit that implementing a new curriculum has been a large effort, she also recognizes that her hard work has paid off in her students’ understanding. “Your kids will get how much or how little you put into the curriculum,” she explained. “It is amazing to be able to target specific skills your students are working on and then see them learn and grow as a result.”

Open Up Resources is a non-profit on a mission to increase equity in education by making excellent, top-rated curricula freely available to districts. You can learn more at www.openupresources.org. Learn more about and join our communities here.