Jenna Free, an English teacher and Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow (VTfT) instructor at Tallwood High School, has been named the 2017 Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) Citywide Teacher of the Year. Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence made the announcement this morning in a surprise visit to one of Free’s AP English classes.

A National Board Certified Teacher, Free has been teaching for nine years, eight of which have been with VBCPS and at Tallwood. She began her undergraduate studies in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University (OU) to prepare for a career in advertising until she met with staff in the university’s CARE (Creating Active and Reflective Educators) Program.

“When you visit Jenna’s classroom, you enter the most inviting place for students to learn and love the subject,” wrote Tallwood principal James Avila in his letter of recommendation. “She takes time to get to know each of them, thereby helping her understand individual learning needs. Because of these relationships, she understands what motivates them to learn.”

In addition to her work as an English and VTfT teacher, Free devotes time to advise the school’s leadership workshop, Educators Rising program and Poetry Out Loud committee as well as accompanies Global Studies and World Languages Academy students on trips abroad. She serves on multiple school committees and division curriculum committees, mentors new teachers and is a VBCPS Design Fellow.

Free was selected as the 2017 Citywide Teacher of the Year from an initial pool of 87 Teachers of the Year. The selection committee interviewed five finalists, including Free, to determine the citywide winner. The other finalists are: Suzanne Buhner, Grade 5 teacher, John B. Dey Elementary School; Adrian Hayes, Grades 7/8 English teacher, Kemps Landing/Old Donation School; Adrienne Kravchak, gifted resource teacher, White Oaks Elementary and Melissa Smith, Grades K-5 reading specialist at Parkway Elementary School.

For more information, see the school division’s press release.