Teacher to the Core

By JOHN SENA, PHOTO BY LUIS SNCHEZ SATURNO

GOLDEN APPLE AWARDS

BILINGUAL EDUCATOR HONORED FOR PASSION, EXPERTISE

Teacher: Beckmon taught English in Mexico for 20 years

Polly Beckmon sat up in her chair and leaned in slightly, her voice changing subtly from cheerful to focused.

The move signaled a transition from small talk about her life to something more important, her life work. Being bilingual is becoming increasingly important, Beckmon explained, for all kids, not just the ones who are learning English.

It’s the same gospel Beckmon has been preaching for years.

“Bilingual education is my passion,” she said. “I think being bilingual is as important as having a background in math or science.”

Beckmon’s strong belief in bilingual education is the reason she has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in Mexico and the United States.

It is also the reason she is one of seven New Mexico teachers to receive the Golden Apple Award, an honor given each year by the Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico.

“She is an excellent teacher,” said Laura Castille, principal at Cesar Ch vez Elementary School, where Beckmon has worked for the last five years. Castille nominated Beckmon for the award. “As an administrator, you have a core group of teachers you can go to. She’s just one of those teachers.”

Beckmon has worked for the Santa Fe Public Schools for 10 years, in a number of capacities ranging from bilingual teacher to teacher resource specialist. When someone has a question about bilingual education, they call Beckmon, her colleagues said.

“Polly is an expert,” said Deborah Maas, a teacher at Cesar Ch vez. “She’s just there as a resource. She makes herself available.”

Beckmon began her career as a bilingual educator after moving to Mexico in the early 1970s.

She had a bachelor’s degree in sociology, had traveled to Europe, returned to the United States and earned a teaching degree, but she wasn’t ready to settle down. “I was a restless type,” she said. “I was very bored with the United States, and I really wanted to learn Spanish well.”

So she moved to Puebla, Mexico, where she earned a master’s degree in intercultural education, a degree Beckmon likened to bilingual education. Then she spent the next 20 years teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in Mexico.

She moved to Santa Fe in 1997 to join her mother and brother. She also began working as a bilingual teacher at Ortiz Middle School. Since then, she has moved around the district, eventually settling at Cesar Ch vez.

Beckmon spoke proudly of her role in developing bilingual curriculum at the schools where she’s worked and throughout the school district.

Despite her knowledge and expertise, though, she does not push her weight around. “She is not going to say, ‘This is what I want.’ She’s going to say, ‘What do you need?’ ” Castille said.

As a Golden Apple recipient, Beckmon will receive a $1,500 cash stipend and a $4,000 grant for professional development. She will also become a lifelong Golden Apple Fellow.

(c) 2007 The Santa Fe New Mexican. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.