Elementary school educator Gina Behrens from the state of Washington helps. her students build literacy through books. Photo credit: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
There are many excellent teachers who work in our nation’s classrooms, and one of them is Gina Behens, an elementary school educator from the state of Washington. She helps her students build literacy through books.
Gina is an academic interventionist and instructional coach at Seth Woodard Elementary School in the West Valley School District in Spokane. In a career that spans 29 years, she’s worked at Woodard Elementary since 2013. Over the years, Gina has earned universal respect from her students, families, and co-workers. She is described by her peers as an energetic, creative, hard-working professional who delivers high-quality instruction to struggling students.
This dedicated educator is a passionate literacy leader who works very hard to build a culture of reading, both inside and outside of the classroom. She has secured numerous grants in her efforts to create greater access to books for students, families, and classroom libraries. Many students in the school regularly visit her classroom’s lending library, which is available to everyone. Often students will find a hand-delivered book left on their desk with a personal note from Gina that encourages them to try a book she selected especially for them. And she has hosted over 50 family engagement events she organized to increase knowledge, confidence, and skills in literacy.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Gina is a member of her school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) leadership team, the school leadership team, and the child study team.
For her work as an educator, Gina has been named the 2023 NorthEast Washington Educational School District 101 (NEWESD) Teacher of the Year. She also earned the Above and Beyond Award in 2021, an accolade that recognized her for being an outstanding educator.
