Dean Barnes born to travel, teach - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

13 September 2007 — Some people choose their careers after consideration of their strengths, talents, likes and dislikes. For other people, the job seems to choose them.

Dean Barnes, 2007-08 Teacher of the Year at Norwayne Middle School, falls into the latter category.

Dean, who has been an educator for 30 years, never had a specific moment at which he knew he wanted to become a teacher.

“I always wanted to teach, my entire life,” he said. “Teaching is a calling, not a job, and I felt I was called to teach.”

Many people, he said, are called into their career because of special talents they have, talents given to them by God. He says he feels that his God-given talent is the ability to teach.

And over the years, his students and peers have agreed. This is the fourth time Dean has been selected as the Teacher of the Year. He received the honor once before at Norwayne, and twice while he taught at Goldsboro High School.

Dean, who is a native of Rocky Mount, has spent most of his career working in Wayne County schools. After teaching for a year at Tarboro High School, he transferred to Goldsboro High School, where he taught for 19 years. He came to Norwayne in 1998, where he teaches seventh grade pre-algebra and science.

After teaching both high school and middle school students, Dean said he has noticed several differences in the grade levels, but he enjoys teaching both.

“In middle school, the kids aren’t quite grown – though some of them think they are,” he said. “They still need that reassurance from you. But they want to learn, and generally they appreciate what you do for them.”

One thing he misses about high school students, he said, is getting to help the students plan for their next big steps in life.

“I miss having the opportunity to write letters of recommendation for students, and being involved with their college choices,” he said. But Dean says he does still keep in touch with his middle school students when they move up to high school and beyond.

Over the years, Dean said he has had a number of memorable classes. The first group of students that stick out in his mind is the class of 1985 at Goldsboro High School. That year, Dean said he had three Morehead Scholarship nominees in his class. Those students were the only Morehead nominees in the county, and he said he was honored to have them in his class.

Over the years he has kept in touch with those students, who have gone on to careers in law, journalism, and optometry. The optometrist actually works in the office where Dean has his eyes checked.

Dean said he has also had several memorable classes during his time at Norwayne. His class for the 2000-2001 school year, he said, was a particularly good group of kids.

“Those kids were excited to learn,” he said, noting that those students are now college sophomores.

His class last year was also one to remember, he said.

For Dean, the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing the kids he’s worked with grow into successful people.

‘I enjoy being a part of the kids’ lives,” he said. “I enjoy watching them grow into young, successful adults.”

One unique way that Dean challenges his students and helps them to expand their horizons is through field trips. Dean enjoys traveling, and hopes to instill a love of travel in his students as well.

Each year, the class takes four field trips. But in addition, a trip to New York City is offered at the beginning of each summer.

Dean says that the trips are incredibly beneficial to his students.

“Kids learn by seeing; they learn so much that I could not possibly teach them in the classroom,” he said. “They learn to interact with each other, and learn to interact with those who are different from themselves.”

Dean also enjoys traveling in his spare time. He loves New York City, and enjoys attending Broadway shows. He does most of his traveling inside the United States. But his favorite trip so far, he said, was a nine-day tour of the Holy land in Israel.

Even coming to work every day is a bit of a mini-trip for Dean. He commutes to Fremont from Rocky Mount. Dean has commuted every day to work in Wayne County for 29 years. But the commute, he said, is worth it.

“I really do like Wayne County,” he said. “I enjoy the student I’ve had, and it’s been a really good experience working here.”

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