Adding culture to the lesson plan
Biology Teacher From Britain Honored for His Work
by Christina A. Samuels
April 4, 2004
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| Teacher Neil Beech discusses an experiment with biology student Max Brown at Brentsville District High School. Beech was named the Virginia Cultural Educator of the Year by the Visiting International Faculty program. |
A teacher at Brentsville District High School has been honored for bringing a bit of his home country to his U.S. students.
Neil Beech, 27, who teaches biology at Brentsville through an exchange program that places foreign teachers in U.S. schools, has been named the Virginia Cultural Educator of the Year by the Visiting International Faculty program. Beech is one of 38 Visiting International Faculty teachers in Prince William County and 178 in the state. About 1,700 Visiting International Faculty teachers work in 10 U.S. states, and 60 U.S. teachers are in the United Kingdom.
Beech, who grew up near Sheffield, England, brings a British sensibility to his instruction. He peppers classroom lectures with things most likely found in a British textbook, including introductions to British scientists, such as Francis Crick, who teamed with American James Watson to map the structure of DNA. Botany lessons include a mention of Oxford ragwort, a toxic non-native plant that has been introduced to the English countryside.
Beech's effect goes beyond what can strictly be called lessons.
"I think the kids get a kick out of it that I say 'VIT-amins' instead of 'VYE-tamins' or 'to-MAH-toes' instead of 'to-may-toes,' " said Beech, who is in his second year of the three-year program. Anything that keeps his students' attention is a good thing.
"It helps me as a teacher, and I think it helps the kids," he said.
The Visiting International Faculty award is given to top teachers in a group of already high achievers. Only one of 10 teachers who applies is accepted for the program after a months-long process, said Ned Glascock, communications manager for the Visiting International Faculty. They are encouraged to learn as much as they can during their three-year stay and take the knowledge back to their home countries.
In addition to Beech, who won $250 and a plaque, Sarah Fincham, a third-grade teacher at Sudley Elementary in Manassas, was a finalist for the award.
Beech, who received a master's degree at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, was recruited by Prince William and worked at Brentsville for a year. He then returned under the Visiting International Faculty program.
The students at Brentsville aren't very different from those in England, he said.
"Kids are kids, that's the bottom line," Beech said. "And the kids at Brentsville have been superb."
Principal Michael Mulgrew said Beech has become an integral part of the school community in just a few years.
"He has an exceptional grasp of content. He knows the lesson inside and out," Mulgrew said. In his first year at the school, 98 percent of Beech's students passed the Standards of Learning tests in biology, Mulgrew said.
Beech has also helped implement the Cambridge program at Brentsville. Similar to advanced placement and International Baccalaureate programs, the Cambridge program gives students a chance to explore subjects more deeply, for possible college credit. And -- perhaps no surprise -- Beech is one of the school's soccer coaches.
"Being English, soccer's in the blood," he said. "If there's any opportunity, I can't turn it down."
Beech's students, bustling around the classroom during a lab project, seem to have gotten used to the accent. They say Beech does a good job making sure they understand the class work.
"He checks with us to make sure we're understanding everything, which is really good," said Ginny Wilson, a 17-year-old junior taking Cambridge biology. "He's definitely one of the better teachers that I have."