Each month, Eagle Radio in Great Bend is recognizing groups or individuals that make a big impact on our community. This Appreciation Month is highlighting teachers.
By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Lisa Beckwith was surrounded by agriculture growing up as
child in Sylvia, Kansas. Her grandfather lived just outside of town in Stafford
County on a farm, her uncle farmed and her dad managed the local co-op.
“I would pedal my bike down to the co-op and hangout with my dad,” said Beckwith. “As
I got older, I helped with harvest and pumped gas at the co-op.”
Despite a family enriched in agriculture, Beckwith knew at a young age she was
going in a different career direction as she played teacher at home.
“I would take the old school books home and I would practice being a teacher,”
said Beckwith. “I knew by fourth or fifth grade that I wanted to be a teacher.”
After graduation from Fairfield High School in Langdon, KS, Beckwith attended
Emporia State University for her teaching degree.
“I got involved with intramural sports at Emporia and joined some clubs,”
said Beckwith. “The professors were awesome. You could go talk to them and they’d
help you out. I felt very comfortable doing that.”
Beckwith’s student teaching assignment was with first grade, but her first job
following college took her to Sharon, KS to teach fifth grade.
“I remember that first year, before school started, walking around my classroom
and thinking ‘what should I do?’” joked Beckwith. “Luckily there was a teacher
that had taught for over 30 years right next to my classroom. I would ask her ‘what
are you doing?’ and she would tell me she’s putting up a bulletin board. I went
back to my room and put up a bulletin board. That’s how I started.”
Starting in Sharon felt right at home for Beckwith.
“It was part of the Medicine Lodge school district but it was a little, bitty
town,” said Beckwith. “I was very comfortable with that because that’s what I
grew up in. The people were wonderful taking me in as a first-year teacher.”
Beckwith had her first of three children while teaching in Sharon, and the
cooks at the school made sure she was comfortable during her pregnancy.
“I would go in during the mornings and not feel very good,” said Beckwith. “The
cooks would bring me into the kitchen and give me a glass of juice and a piece
of toast.”
The school in Sharon closed after Beckwith’s fifth year teaching, so she began
teaching 10 miles east on U.S. 160 Highway in Attica. After spending three
years in Attica, Beckwith took four years away from teaching to “start the
family” while their family moved to Hudson, KS and her husband began working in
Great Bend.
“After four years, I decided I wanted to get back into teaching,” said
Beckwith. “Central Kansas Christian Academy, at that time it was called Grace
Academy, had a half-time position available in Great Bend. I was able to still
be home in the afternoons with my youngest child.”
Beckwith eventually worked into a fulltime position at Central Kansas Christian
Academy (CKCA) on McKinley Street and has worked there since 1999.
“I can share the word of God here and that is so vitally important to me in my
faith and being able to share it with the kids” said Beckwith. “I also enjoy
CKCA because of the smaller class size. It reminds me of what I had in Sharon
where we are a close-knit community of teachers and parents.”
Beckwith said teaching brings so many rewards and it all starts with the kids.
“I love visiting with each one of them and getting to know them,” said
Beckwith. “It’s awesome watching them grow and learn. When the light goes on
and they finally figure out what the teacher was talking about…it’s a lot of
fun.”
Beckwith said the most difficult thing about teaching is maintaining discipline
to make sure everyone has an opportunity to learn.
“You don’t want a chaotic room,” said Beckwith. “You want to make sure everyone
is under control so all children have the chance to learn.”
A new, good form of chaos is coming to the Beckwith family in February 2022 as
Lisa and her husband will get to see what being grandparents is all about.
“Our middle daughter is getting ready to have twins,” said Beckwith. “I’ll get
the joy of seeing what being a grandparent is like. We’re very excited.”
Read the previous Appreciation Month stories by clicking HERE.