Science teacher named state finalist
SEARCY — Ahlf Junior High School science teacher Kyla Gentry is one of seven educators selected as 2017 state finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She hopes to hear soon that she might be one of the 2018 national winners.
“I was happy, surprised and excited about being named a state finalist,” Gentry said, noting that she is one of four finalists for the science award for teachers in grades seven through 12; three teachers are finalists for the math award. “I would be the happiest if I won the national award. National winners receive $10,000, a trip to Washington, D.C., and a chance to meet the president of the United States. That money would come directly to me. … It would help out a lot.”
Gentry and the other state finalists were honored in November at the Arkansas Curriculum Conference and in December at the state Board of Education meeting, both in Little Rock.
The Nat ional Science Foundation, on behalf of The White House, oversees the program that recognizes outstanding teachers who have demonstrated a commitment to professional development, innovative teaching techniques and technology use in their classrooms.
Gentry, 36, was nominated for the science award by Gene Hodges, former Ahlf Junior High School principal and current Searcy High School principal, for her outstanding work ethic and excellence in the field of science education.
“I feel like Kyla deserves to win the entire nationwide contest,” Hodges said. “She is one of the hardest workers I have ever come in contact with, and she was one of my go-to teachers when I was principal at Ahlf and needed assistance. I wish her the very best in this process.”
Gentry said she had to fill out a lengthy application for the award.
“I also had to video a class lesson and submit it,” she said. “I had to send in samples of students’ work and three letters of recommendation. It was a very extensive application process. I spent from January to May of last year filling it in.”
Gentry said she is honored to have been recognized by the state for her efforts in the classroom.
“I work hard every day for my students to be successful inside and outside of the classroom,” she said. “I am blessed to work with such amazing students and for the Searcy School District. They are the real reason I have been selected as a finalist. Without them, none of this would be possible.”
Gentry graduated from Harding Academy in 2000 and from Harding University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. She earned a master’s degree in science and school counseling from Harding in 2008. She received certification in early-adolescence science from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2011.
“I may try to obtain an Educational Specialist degree in curriculum at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro,” she said. “It’s an online program. That certification would allow me to help other teachers; I would be like a curriculum coach.”
Gentry taught first grade for one year at Lonoke Primary School and came to Ahlf Junior High School in 2005. She taught both seventh- and eighth-grade science that first year. She now teaches advanced eighth-grade science and physical science. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Harding University.
Gentry is a single mother of two children — 10-yearold son Gabe and 8-year-old daughter Gracen. They both attend Searcy schools.
“My kids love science,” she said, smiling. “We do science experiments frequently at home. One year, my son asked for a volcano for Christmas, and my daughter asked for a rock collection. Santa came through that year and fulfilled their wishes.”
Born in Newport, Gentry is a daughter of Jim and Mona Diles of Pangburn.
“My mother was a teacher, and my dad worked for Entergy,” she said. “They are both retired.”
Gentry has one brother, Ben Diles, who is a teacher in Columbia, Tennessee, and one sister, Kaci Ward, who is a U.S. postal worker in Winnsboro, Texas.
“As a kid, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher or a nurse,” Gentry said. “Once I started student teaching, I loved the labs and knew I wanted to teach middle school or junior high school science. I found a job doing that as soon as I could.”
Gentry said she believes all students can learn.
“They may not have the confidence that they can learn, but they can,” she said. “Students do fail, but not often. I try hard to provide support in the classroom for them. If I see them falling behind in my class, or in other classes, I try to help them. I try really hard to keep them from failing.”
She said her favorite part of science is the lab work.
“I love anything dealing with labs. I really like physical science, which lends itself to lab work,” she said.
“Kids learn better with labs,” Gentry said. “My eighthgrade physical science students are studying motion and waves right now. They are doing a lot of lab work with that. Students in my eighth-grade class are studying genetics.
“We have a wonderful new lab. I designed it. We gutted the old lab and built this new one. We have six science teachers, and we all share this one lab.”
Gentry said she and her students are getting ready for a “big STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) night” on Feb. 23.
“The students will be presenting projects … similar to a science fair,” she said. That event will be open to the public from 6-8 p.m. in the school cafeteria and gymnasium.
When Gentry is not teaching, she spends most of her spare time with her children.
“I’m always at sporting events involving my kids,” she said, laughing. “They are into everything — soccer, basketball, gymnastics. I’m always at somebody’s game or practice.”