When she successfully applied to USC Aiken for the School of Education Dean position, Judy Beck was drawn by the school's rigorous program.
"The faculty members already do a great job," said Beck, who formally will begin work on July 1.
Earlier this month, she met with faculty members. "I feel my job is to make sure they are able to continue their good work with the resources they need. I want to make the path easier for them," she added.
Beck previously served as the interim executive director of the School of Education at USC Upstate's Greenville campus. Over the past 12 years, she held a number of roles - among them the middle level secondary education director.
Beck received her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green University and her MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Toledo. She was a classroom teacher earlier in her career.
As she gets ready for her new role, she is looking forward to meeting the students who are seeking education careers. Beck acknowledges that young people will face challenges in that field - limited resources in many school districts, federal requirements and "pay that is not great."
Those from the outside are continuously putting pressure on education. However, the charge of USCA professors includes opportunities to inform students about the good things in teaching.
"No matter what level I've taught, K-12 and higher education," Beck said, "it's the positive feedback you get from students, the appreciation they can give you every day. ... It's always great to see that light bulb go off or (a student) thought of a path he wouldn't have had before."
Still, those experiences can be elusive for middle and secondary teachers. At those age levels, many students are going through periods in which they are trying to become independent and at the same time, seeking a support network.
As a result, Beck said, behavior issues emerge, pushing boundaries. Teachers and administrators must help students with emotional growth as much as academics, she said, and the pressure can be enormous for teachers.
Most people don't understand the amount of work teachers are expected to do - grading papers, handling different situations in the classroom, the public vie, expectations of test score performance or a child's home situation, she said.
Over the years, USCA professors have given their students more and more opportunities for professional development beyond the university campus, Beck said. Before their traditional student-teaching experiences in their final semester, students also visit area schools extensively - working with individuals or small groups, including mentoring within the classroom.
"Teaching can be tough if you've never had on-the-job training," Beck said. "We do as much as we can to provide general guidelines and tips. We want students to become advocates for the teaching professions."
She reiterated there are so many successes that become positives for new teachers after they move into the classroom.
"People will always say that one teacher made a difference in their lives," she said.
Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.