Beth Begley @ Crystal Springs Elementary

While student teaching at Crystal Springs Elementary School, Beth Begley has discovered the influence that a caring teacher can have on students’ lives. Beth, an Elementary Education major from Lebanon, Ore., says, “Students are from all kinds of family backgrounds and you never know what is going on. You can be a consistent part of their lives, which is something that many students don’t have anymore.”

Beth feels that the diversity of the classroom she was placed in as a student teacher has prepared her to meet the needs of any child she will teach in the future.

“My cooperating teacher always tells me, ‘If you can handle this class, you can handle anything.’”

Beth says that Mrs. LynnDee Ames, her cooperating teacher, is preparing Beth by helping her learn from her mistakes. “She encourages me to be a little self-critical, in a good way, so I can see how I can improve,” Beth says.

A favorite success story from her student teaching demonstrates for Beth the impact of a caring teacher. A boy in her third grade class was obviously unhappy when he came to school on his birthday. He was uncooperative in class, and Beth found several notes he’d written that said things like, “This is the worst day ever.”

Beth knew that he had a difficult home life, and she guessed that no one from his family would come to school with a treat for his class, like other students’ parents did. Beth tried to encourage him, but his behavior didn’t improve, Beth talked to other teachers, and they found some Hershey’s kisses.

At lunch, all the students sang “Happy Birthday” for this boy, and he got to pass out the kisses. The school’s principal bought him a Happy Meal and invited him to have a special lunch with her. Later, Beth found a note, left out where she would see it, that said, “This was the best day ever…”

Beth hopes that her career in teaching will provide her with opportunities to meet many more needs for many more students. “I love to interact with the kids and be instrumental in their lives. Everybody remembers their favorite teacher from elementary school,” Beth says. “When my students think back on their lives, they are going to remember me.”