Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Carport classroom corners local media interest

May 15, 2020 12:32 PM

SBISD teacher and mom Kristi Dina wins kudos for her weekly outdoor lessons

It might just be that during the COVID-19 pandemic every parent who is teaching at home has a secret dream of a neighborhood teacher to help out in person. In one Spring Valley neighborhood, the dream just might be real for a small group of neighbors.

Now, what began several weeks ago as a Tuesday morning lesson in Kristi Dina’s carport to encourage and support learning for third-graders who live near her home has grown into a spotlight feature story for local media stations.

Reporters and cameras from KTRK-TV 13 and Univision KXLN-TV 45 have stopped by. Her story, along with praise from parents, appeared in the Houston Chronicle’s Memorial Examiner weekly newspaper this week.

A Houston public radio reporter has interviewed her, and her tale of giving has even appeared outside Texas as a bright light on neighborliness and a teacher’s selflessness and sharing spirit.

“I am doing this with my mom hat on,” says Dina, who teaches at the district’s Spring Branch Academic Institute (SBAI), which serves highly gifted students.

“After three to four weeks of remote learning at home, and talking to parents, I heard a lot of frustration. Children do react differently to mom at home versus their teacher at school.”

Talk turned to action when Dina gathered parent consent, and then held a Tuesday morning math lesson for six Valley Oaks Elementary third-graders who lived nearby. The three boys and girls bike or walk once a week now to her carport, where she has set out lawn chairs six feet apart, cup holders ready with pens and highlighters. Like many SBISD teachers, she uses Zoom to work daily with her own SBAI students.

In a 2 ½ hour session, Dina typically leads the children through multiple math lessons and several social studies lessons. She uses the district’s Digital Backpack lessons as a weekly guide and focus. The carport on one recent morning included classwork displayed on clipboards. Her laptop, set on a table, serves as an additional screen for displaying lessons.

She has entertained the tiny class with surprise Zoom sessions with teachers and staff they know at the Valley Oaks Elementary campus.

Dina was a bit surprised by the initial reaction from both students and parents to the Tuesday meetings.

“I told the parents the first day that we might go an hour or so, but the children were all very excited to keep going, so we did,” she said. “They were amazingly engaged, it was like they were looking for going to school. They loved it. Parents loved it. Now, it’s a Tuesday tradition.”

“It’s not the same, but it feels more like school, and I’m excited because I get to be with my friends,” says Valley Oaks third-grader Claire Fuqua. “I love Miss Dina. She helps us get through so much when we’re all together.”

“It’s nice to have a normal teacher,” adds Claire, who works at home alongside two brothers. “It’s hard for my mom to get to everything with me and my siblings. My mom does not have all the experience of a regular teacher, and Miss Dina went to school just to be a teacher!”

A parent posted on Facebook that Dina not only helped students with their [Digital Backpack] lessons, but “also freed some Valley Oaks Elementary mamas at the same time.”

“I love her heart and serving attitude. So proud to know you!!!” she posted.

Dina’s director at SBAI, Patricia Kassir, viewed the recent Spanish language Univision news broadcast. The newscaster raved about Dina’s outreach to children in a close, community minded neighborhood.

“Frankly, it was not such a surprise to see because Kristi Dina operates that way. She sees a need, and gets to work to solve it,” Kassir said. SBAI’s instructors named Dina campus Teacher of the Year earlier this school year.