People who grow up in the Joplin area say there always seems to be something to bring them back home, no matter how far away they’ve roamed. 

That is exactly the case when it comes to Dr. Maggie Beachner, a new professor in the teacher education department at Missouri Southern. Beachner grew up just north of Seneca, Mo.  She then moved to Fayetteville, Ark., where she earned her Bachelor of Science in human environmental sciences, a Master of Education in secondary education, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.  

After finishing with these respected degrees, Beachner stayed in Fayetteville and taught family and consumer sciences at the high school level. She then taught in the department of curriculum and instruction at the University of Arkansas as a clinical assistant professor.  

Beachner had been inquiring about positions at Missouri Southern for a of couple years before she saw a fitting job posting on the human resources website and applied.  

“I grew up on a small farm just south of Joplin, and I wanted to be closer to the rest of my family,” Beachner said.  Then, in May of 2015, she and her husband uprooted from Arkansas and moved back “home.”

Beachner explained, “I knew Missouri Southern would be a great place to build a career.  The teacher education department has always had a great reputation, and I wanted to be a part of educating the area’s future teachers.”

Even though Beachner has only been a faculty member at Southern for little over one semester, she has already made an impact on the students in her classes, and even on those who have not had the pleasure of taking one of her courses yet.  

Ashely Abeyta, a junior majoring in teacher education, has not had Beachner as an instructor yet, but she already has a positive attitude about her teaching methods. 

“With her fresh outlook on education, anyone that steps through the education program will be gaining a knowledge and experience that will surpass programs statewide,” Abeyta said.  

Also, while preparing for her future student teaching requirements, Abeyta said “[Beachner] really sets the professional bar high when it comes to our student teacher candidates, and I really think that will place them a bar above the rest.”  

The positive comments did not come only from students.  Lorinda Hackett, department chair and associate professor, explained, “Dr. Maggie Beachner is an excellent addition to the teacher education department.  Her expertise allows her to effectively teach a wide variety of courses.”  

Hackett added, “Her passion brings a tireless effort to create opportunities to maximize candidate success in teacher education.”

Beachner’s uplifting outlook on the education department and her students radiates from the way she discusses both.  

“I’m grateful for MSSU and the teacher education department for having faith in my abilities and providing an opportunity for me to grow in my career in higher education.”  Beachner said.  “I look forward to working with the Southern community and my colleagues even more in the future and being a Lion for many years to come.”