Excellent Educators is a WAVY-TV 10 initiative to celebrate local teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students and communities during the coronavirus pandemic. These Excellent Educators were nominated by their school divisions. Congratulations to these educators for all of their hard work and accomplishments!
Name: Amanda Yarborough
Division: Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Position: English as a second language teacher at Rosemont Forest Elementary School, Indian Lakes Elementary School, and Lynnhaven Elementary School
What the school division said about this Excellent Educator: Amanda Yarborough is an English as a second language teacher who works with students from Rosemont Forest, Indian Lakes and Lynnhaven elementary schools.
Yarborough has only been at Rosemont Forest Elementary School for a year, but she immediately formed outstanding relationships with her students. She moved seamlessly between virtual and face-to-face learning, maintaining her relationships with students and parents throughout. Her students’ growth has been tremendous, and as hard as it is, Yarborough knows that end goal is for her students to no longer need her. She has been a gift to Rosemont Forest Elementary School.
She hosts virtual Friday night story time for her students and their siblings. She sends parents a weekly message on the app Talking Points to remind them. Talking Points is a messenger tool for educators that allows teachers to communicate with parents via text messages in their native languages. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday nights, many of Yarborough’s students tune in to her Google Meet. Some students log on early to share their pets or a favorite toy. Yarborough’s book choices focus on diverse characters, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants.