From a young age, Christyn Henderson has imagined herself being a teacher. She said seeing the impact her mother had on her current and past students made teaching stand out as the profession for Henderson.
“I’ve always loved school, reading and learning,” she said. “I have many teachers in my family, not just my mom, so getting advice from them has been helpful.”
Henderson said her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunts, sister, dad and grandma are either currently working in education or have retired from the profession.
“My mom, especially — I saw the impact she had on her students, both past and present, and after seeing her in that role and helping her at school, or playing ‘school’ with my sister at home, I knew teaching would eventually become my calling,” Henderson said.
Henderson’s mom, Cheryl Simmons, an art teacher at Westside Elementary School in Searcy, was named District Teacher of the Year in 2012 and even made it to the regional division. It’s an award that the mother and daughter now share, as Henderson, who teaches third grade at McRae Elementary School, was recently named Searcy School District Teacher of the Year as well.
“It is an honor to share in this experience with her,” Henderson said. “We don’t teach at the same school, but it is special to teach in the same district. She was so proud when I told her I received this honor.
“It is really special sharing in all of this excitement with all the teachers in my family.”
Henderson graduated from Harding University in Searcy in fall 2015 and enrolled as a substitute teacher in the spring after graduating early. She said she knew there was a unique community at McRae that she felt just after her first day of student-teaching.
“I really wanted to be a part of it,” Henderson said. “I really cannot say enough good things about McRae, its administration and employees.”
Henderson is originally from Searcy, having graduated from Searcy High School in 2012. She is currently working on a master’s degree at Harding University. She said she plans to finish the degree in spring 2021. She said she appreciates teaching in the Searcy School District as a proud alumni. She said at districtwide events, she enjoys seeing some of the teachers that meant so much to her when she was younger.
“I’m a very behind-the-scenes-person, so I’m honestly surprised I was chosen [as District Teacher of the Year],” Henderson said. “The shock hasn’t really worn off yet. I have also only been teaching for four years, and that made it a huge surprise as well.
“I always try to stay positive and be a team player. I hope I am a good teammate who is there to offer help and a listening ear, as education can be difficult and stressful at times. I try to focus on the good that came from each day as it ends, instead of the stress of deadlines or preparation for the next day or week.”
Henderson said the kind words she has received from people about how deserving she is of the award have been so sweet and affirming. She said it is a huge honor, and she feels blessed.
Kristi Smith, another third-grade teacher at McRae Elementary School, said Henderson is a balanced person.
“The thing that stood out to me the most is the fact that she was able to come in on a team with very experienced teachers, sit in and contribute, and keep up with the pace that we were teaching at,” Smith said. “She was joining a team with very experienced teachers (Smith has been teaching for 27 years), and you would never have known she was a newbie.
“She asked a lot of questions, and she fit right in with our team. She became one of us right away. She is a team player.”
In the four years Henderson has been at McRae, she has had some “pretty tough kids “but she treats them all the same. Even if she was bent out of shape inside, no one would have known it,” Smith said.
“She treats all of her students the same. If they are high-functioning, she challenges them, and if they are low-functioning, she is doing interventions — and she has the evidence to back it up,” Smith said.
“My favorite part about teaching is the growth that you get to see and the relationships you’re able to build,” Henderson said. “I try to have a unique and personal relationship with all my students and make sure they feel loved and safe at school.
“When students make gains in an area we’ve been working on, it is so rewarding to see the smile on their faces of how proud they are of themselves. Not only have I made relationships with my kids, but I’ve made life-long friendships with grade-level teammates and co-workers at my school. It is a special place. They care so much about the kids and their McRae family.”
She said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been very different learning from home, but she said PBS Arkansas has put out some great videos and lessons for the teachers. She said it was a hard transition for everyone, including parents, teachers and students — but she is proud of the way everyone worked hard with the restrictions.
“I have tried to be flexible and available to parents throughout the process,” Henderson said. “We answered many questions day and night, making sure my directions and expectations were clear. We just all figured it out together.”
She said her team would have Google Meets with the classes every week to catch up with each other and take part in fun activities. She said it was hard not getting to see her students’ faces in person or read to them at the carpet or hug them.
“I missed helping them more one on one, doing hands-on activities and just watching them play at recess,” Henderson said. “I also missed seeing my rock-star team of teachers every day. I can’t wait until it’s safe to get back in the classroom and teach again.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.