r By Lana Hiskey
Nebo School District’s KyLynn James, a Salem Junior High School health teacher, has been named the Utah Junior High School Health Teacher of the Year by the Utah Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Nebo District Health Specialist John Allan said, “I met KyLynn this summer as we worked on a curriculum project. It took me no time to discover that this teacher had a great command of the curriculum and was a great teacher. KyLynn is a true professional and a great asset to the Salem Junior High faculty.”
James is ACE, Zumba and Group Fitness certified and uses these certifications to get her class moving. She doesn’t simply talk about the subjects; she actively demonstrates the exercises. She has been a key member of the Nebo School District Healthy Lifestyles team and is creating an all-new dance fitness curriculum to be taught at Salem Junior High next year. Currently she uses a class social media page on Instagram so she can share announcements and promote health and fitness outside of class in the community.
Members of the Salem community frequent James’s class as guest speakers. She has invited firemen, police officers and dentists into her classroom and has had members of the Red Cross to visit her class. The students especially loved doing CPR/AED training.
“I’ve observed her classes and love how every lesson and topic is made applicable to the student’s life. She makes it real for them,” said her colleague Jordan Blanchard.
James is completing her fourth year of teaching health and is working on her master’s degree in education from Southern Utah University so she can continue to improve her curriculum.
