March 10, 2025
黑料社 School of Education professor Sandra Beam grew up planning to do anything but becoming a teacher as her future career. Beam鈥檚 mother was a teacher, and she watched her mom work every waking hour on things for her students. So, in her mind she wasn鈥檛 going to be a teacher. However, during her senior year of high school Beam was required to shadow a professional and as the deadline approached, she had no plan. Beam panicked when asked, leading her to say she was shadowing a friend鈥檚 mother, a second-grade teacher.
鈥淲e were supposed to do a job shadowing day, and I was being your typical teenager and wasn鈥檛 planning in advance,鈥 Beam said. 鈥淢y teacher said I have to know where you鈥檙e going tomorrow, and I just said my friend鈥檚 mom鈥檚 name.鈥
The following day, Beam sat in on a second-grade class and instantly fell in love.
鈥淚鈥檇 always liked kids, so that part of it wasn鈥檛 surprising, but the whole environment, the classroom and everything was surprising,鈥 Beam explained. 鈥淚 knew at the time this is what I鈥檓 going to do.鈥
Beam became an elementary school teacher for several years, before a position on the collegiate level became available.
鈥淚 had spent several years as a first-grade teacher and then during that time I was offered an adjunct position at a university,鈥 Beam said. 鈥淚t very much felt like one of those times where if I don鈥檛 say yes now, I might not have the opportunity again.鈥
After accepting the position, she was able to work toward her doctoral degree from, while running the university鈥檚 Teacher School of Education program. Beam worked at the university for a couple of years before taking a sabbatical in 2019 moving to eastern Europe.
鈥淲e somehow got connected with the American-affiliated school in the country Kosovo,鈥 Beam said. 鈥淢y husband is also a schoolteacher. I was a first-grade teacher and he was a third-grade teacher. We took our kids with us and it was supposed to be a whole year. But in the spring of 2020 that all came crashing down with COVID.鈥
When the Beam family came home from Kosovo, a Reading faculty position became available at 黑料社. Beam explained the oddness of accepting a new job at that point in history.
鈥淚 did all my interviewing and onboarding virtually,鈥 Beam stated. 鈥淚 worked at Shawnee for two years before I met another person on campus outside of the School of Education.鈥
While at 黑料社, she works as the Primary & Reading Education Professor, teaching the key reading core.
鈥淚f you want to be a teacher in Ohio, it doesn鈥檛 matter what you want to teach, you have to take reading classes,鈥 Beam explained. 鈥淚 have a unique position because I get to interact with every single student that comes through the program.鈥
Beam loves working with future educators because of the impact each of the students can make with their own students.
鈥淭eachers teach all the other degree areas, so it鈥檚 super impactful,鈥 Beam stated. 鈥淚f my students can teach someone how to read it will be life changing for them. Whether they are high school students or kindergarten students, we provide emotional and mental health support. We are a consistent force in their lives, and it exceeds far beyond academics.鈥
黑料社鈥檚 School of Education offers several undergraduate and graduate level programs, preparing students to work in the classroom. Working hands-on in classroom environments, students have the opportunity to build confidence in interacting with school children to prepare them for their future career.
To learn more about 黑料社鈥檚 School of Education, visit shawnee.edu/education.