“It’s a calling,” said Sabrina Beasley, a veteran teacher of 21 years and a new English teacher at Northwood. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. When I was seven years old, I got one of those little chalkboards, and I set it up, and I sat my two year old sister down, and I said, ‘Okay, we’re gonna learn to spell.’ I taught her to read when she was two.”
A North Carolina native, Beasley was born in Asheboro and attended UNC-Greensboro, majoring in English. She came to Northwood from Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City and teaches English IV, Honors English IV and AP Literature and Composition.
When asked how Northwood compared to other schools at which she has taught, Beasley praised the school for its diverse and cooperative atmosphere.
“[Northwood is] big; it’s bright,” Beasley said. “And then when you put people in it, it’s crowded. The diversity is huge; there are all different kinds of kids here, which I love. And I like the community involvement. If you have an idea, all you have to do is say it, and somebody’s like, ‘Let me help you with it,’ so it’s very collaborative here, and I love that. It’s kind of the place where, if you dream it, you can do it, and that’s for the students and the faculty.”
Senior Jordan Pollard, a student in Beasley’s Honors English IV class, had a positive first impression of her.
“She seems like a very sweet woman,” Pollard said. “She’s very bright and cheerful.”
Pollard went on to praise Beasley’s classroom atmosphere.
“Her class has been really fun,” Pollard said. “When we come in the room, she asks us how our day was, and she lets us put our heads on the desk or we dance for a minute. She gets us out of the monotony of school before she throws us back into class.”
Beasley said that the best part of her job is working with the students.
“Every day I learn something new,” Beasley said. “After 21 years, I’m still learning. I tell my kids on the first day, ‘I’m not better than you, just older.’”
Beasley was particularly excited for the opportunity to share literature with her students this school year.
“I’m in grad school; I’m working on my Masters currently, and I just enjoy talking about and reading stories,” Beasley said. “[Students] see things that I don’t see, and I see things that they don’t see, and I can’t think of anything better to do than to discuss literature with students.”
– By Becca Heilman