Diana Beasley, North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year Shapes Tomorrow’s Leaders
by Lynda Fuller, NC DPI

When asked if she wanted to be a teacher when she “grew up,” North Carolina’s new Teacher of the Year, Diana Beasley, responded with a resounding NO! “I was destined for surgery – not teaching.”

Beasley has always loved to learn and was particularly interested in science. “I dissected my dinner nightly, studied tissue cultures under my toy microscope, and diagnosed my dolls’ and any neighborhood friends’ illnesses,” added Beasley. “I voraciously read anything dealing with health or medicine and tortured my parents’ friends in the medical field with question after question.” While attending the University of Virginia, Beasley chose to pursue premed as her major. That was until the spring semester of her sophomore year when she met Brian and Daniel, two students from a nearby high school.

As part of her sorority’s community service requirement, Beasley held after-school tutorial sessions for students struggling academically in science. Brian and Daniel were present under duress from their football coach. “If you don’t pass biology, you don’t play football,” was his ultimatum to them. “They fought me every step of the way at first,” notes Beasley, “but once they learned to trust me and believe that I knew they could do it, they started to show the courage needed to overcome the frustration that the lifelong pattern failure brings.” Beasley believes strongly that when failure is NOT an option, success breeds confidence and self-respect. “At that moment, I knew teaching was my destiny,” Beasley added.

Strawberry DNA extraction

Beasley has taught various science courses during her 24-year career - 17 of those in her present position at Hickory High School in Hickory City Schools. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Science Education from the University of Virginia and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators, the National Science Teacher Association and the North Carolina Science Teacher Association. “My professional memberships are crucial to my role as a teacher since they allow me to remain current on research, advances and trends in science education, and I can pass the latest information on to my students.” She’s assisted with both lateral-entry teacher training and mentor training and has been named Hickory High School’s Teacher of the Year on three separate occasions. She also received the First Union (Wachovia) Ben Craig Outstanding Educator Award and the Tandy Technology Scholar-Outstanding Teacher Math/Science Award.

Even with all these accomplishments and accolades, Beasley said her greatest contributions in education come from the life lessons she teaches her students everyday. “I try never to miss an opportunity to show a real-life extension of topics we study in class,” she notes. “I stress to all my students the necessity of being well-read and of being able to think critically and logically.” In addition, Beasley wants “my students to be good people, work well with others and think of others’ needs along with their own.”

Beasley and students act out "Cellular Respiration."

She has come to realize that not much she does escapes her students’ notice. They write her letters and emails quoting things she has said or referencing things she has done in the classroom. “Last year, a former student made an unannounced visit to my class in full soldier gear – a striking statement in itself – upon his return from Iraq to let me know that he never forgot my assessment that he would one day be a great man if he kept his eye on the ultimate prize.”

Microscope Studies

Beasley takes great pride in concentrating on teaching children, not just her subject. “My husband and I never had our own family, and I feel that even though that has been the greatest heartache of my life, I have instead been given 150-175 children a year for 23 years to mother,” she said. In her classroom, she fosters an atmosphere of admiration, trust, respect and love for one another. “I believe that enthusiasm is infectious, and positive affirmations will be remembered long after any school bell rings,” she adds.

Along with the awesome responsibility of educating her students, Beasley also feels responsible for ensuring that the profession she holds close to her heart doesn’t become extinct. “We cannot rest on our laurels and assume that because we wanted to become teachers, we will have a never ending supply. Research shows that is not the case. If we want to keep competent, intelligent, innovative, compassionate professionals in charge of our children’s education, then we must show them how rewarding the profession can be,” she said.

A shoulder to lean on!

One way Beasley is doing this is by modeling proven teaching techniques, establishing fair discipline practices, showing that learning can be fun and different each day and downplaying the negatives of the job (such as long hours and pay that can steer some people away from the profession). She and a co-worker also co-sponsor a Future Teachers of America club at Hickory High School. “We encourage our young members to visit schools, observe practicing teachers, tutor students, and, when they are seniors, to apply for a Teaching Fellows Scholarship,” she adds. ”Along with our guidance counselor, we help these dedicated young people with their applications and interview preparation,” Beasley said.

Helping students reach their full potential is a charge Beasley feels all educators must embrace. “I believe that children are our most precious resource. How fortunate we are to help shape tomorrow’s great leaders. By having high expectations of ourselves and of our students, we are firm in our belief that they can and that they will master the educational and personal objectives needed to become productive citizens. Ralph Waldo Emerson challenges us to ‘find the best in others,’ ‘to give of one’s self,’ and ‘to leave the world a little better.’ We can teach these things - along with our Standard Course of Study – if we are a bit creative in designing integrative, interactive and engaging lessons,” she said.

Regional Team Photo from Annual North CarolinaTeacher of the Year Gala

Being creative is a talent at which Beasley excels. She likens her job to that of a master chef who takes varied staples like meat, carrots, potatoes and onions, and makes a special dish. “To my classroom ‘staples’ – children with different talents and abilities – I add a full-bodied broth of sound teaching methods; to this I blend a hearty curriculum, a sprinkle of spices from my bag of tricks, and a kiss for good luck. In this way, I create different dishes daily – each one delicious, satisfying and educationally tempting.”

While it is paramount to stress the need for a marketable product by graduating successful students, Beasley feels it is important that people not forget the human side of education. “Teaching involves a commitment to learning and to children. A smile, an encouraging word, an appropriate touch speak volumes about how we cherish our young people. I pray we never get so caught-up in test scores and NCLB (No Child Left Behind) subgroup accountability that we forget why we have the best job in the world.”

Wendy Miller, past NC Teacher of the Year congratulates Diana Beasley	Diana Beasley, NC Teacher of the Year in NCADA-sponsored car

Lynda Fuller is a Communications Specialist in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.