North Carolina's Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007 Diana Beasley, a high school biology teacher from Hickory High School, is the keynote speaker for a September 26th Teacher Education Day slated at Catawba College.
Jointly sponsored by Catawba's Admissions and Teacher Education Departments and the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, this is the fourth year of the event. Its purpose is to encourage bright young people to pursue their interest in teaching and to inform them of the value of a teacher education program as preparation for their careers.
Beasley has 24 years of teaching experience, 17 of those in her current position at Hickory High School. She earned her bachelor of science degree in secondary science from the University of Virginia. Her recognitions and awards are numerous. She was the Hickory Public Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2005-2006, Hickory High School's Teacher of the Year for 2004-2005 and 1997-1998, and the recipient of the First Union Ben Craig Outstanding Educator Award in 1997-1998. She sums up her teaching philosophy like this: “I believe success in teaching starts with a belief that children are our most precious resource. This belief is the foundation upon which to base all other knowledge about teaching."
Approximately 120 high school students interested in pursuing a career as a teacher, along with several dozen Catawba teacher education students, will attend the day-long event. Phil Kirk, Catawba's vice president for external relations and chairman emeritus of the N.C. Board of Education, will introduce Beasley.
Others on the program include Dr. Barbara Hetrick, vice president and dean of the Catawba; Dr. James Stringfield, chair of Catawba's teacher education department; Fran Trueblood, Rowan-Salisbury Schools' initially licensed teacher coordinator; Dr. Cyndi Osterhus, assistant professor of teacher education at Catawba; Tyler Kulp, a 2006 Catawba College graduate and first-year teacher at Corriher-Lipe Middle School; Dr. Russell Watjen, vice president and dean of admissions at Catawba; and Dr. Alan King, assistant superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools.
Teachers participating in the Teacher Education Day include Stacy Rogers '01 and Vonda Kirk, both teachers at Overton Elementary School; Amy Stokes, a teacher at Granite Quarry Elementary School; and Terrence Snider, a teacher at Salisbury High School. Catawba College students who are teacher candidates will also participate and include seniors Ingrid Easter of Cana, Va.; Andrew Howe of Salisbury; Angie Ingraham of Salisbury, Danielle Petrin of Indian Trail, and Kristen Phillips of Hartwood, Va.
In addition to Drs. Stringfield and Osterhus, members of the Catawba's teacher education faculty include Dr. Lou Kasias, Dr. Rhonda Truitt, Amanda Bosch, Dr. Steve Etters, Dr. William Russell and Dr. Pat Whitley.
