About...

DeLyn Beard is the founding owner of eLeader Academy of Evansville, an organization that serves to empower youth in the digital age.  The eLeader Academy of Evansville provides various technology and leadership classes during the after-school and weekend hours, a time when juvenile crime rates increase.  For more information on the eLeader Academy of Evansville, visit www.eleaderacademy.org

DeLyn also serves as an eLearning Coach in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, Indiana.  She supports K-12 teachers in the district by providing professional development opportunities in instructional technology.  Prior to that, DeLyn taught elementary and middle level grades in both general education and special education settings for 17 years.

In 2012, as a fourth grade teacher, she was the first teacher at Oak Hill School to be nominated for the Outstanding Teacher Award by the Evansville Area Council PTA.

Recognized by her abilities to collaborate and connect with others, she was the first teacher at Oak Hill School to be asked to serve as the Teacher Representative for the Oak Hill Parent Teacher Association.

DeLyn’s passion is fueled by empowering students to lead others in various platforms.   In 2011, DeLyn started an after-school tech club, Oak Hill eLeaders.  This team of 4th and 5th grade students travel to educational conferences around the country to teach teachers how to implement technology into their classrooms.  DeLyn and the Oak Hill eLeaders were recognized in 2013 by the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation by receiving the first of its kind, EVSC Outstanding Teacher-Student Award.  In April, 2014, DeLyn and her Oak Hill eLeaders were recognized by the Evansville community when they received the Leaders in Technology Award sponsored by Leadership Evansville.  For more information on Oak Hill eLeaders, visit www.oakhilleleaders.weebly.com

DeLyn holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership and a Masters of Science in Special Education, both from Indiana State University.  Find out more about DeLyn by visiting http://delynbeard.blogspot.com/  and on Twitter @delynbeard.  

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I'm on Facebook.

I'm really on Twitter, a lot.
I'm on LinkedIn, and browse on Pinterest sometimes.
My new favorite site is RebelMouse!  Check it out!  Now!

Check out what we're doing in our 4th grade class.
Check out our class on Twitter, too: @Beardsbrains.

Email: 
dbeardteacher@gmail.com  

I was a White House Associate in 2009.

I have the best job.  Seriously.  I get to learn from 10-year-olds every day.  Yes, technically, by traditional standards, they are supposed to learn from me.  But, most days they are my teachers.  They truly inspire me.  How cool is that?  Fourth graders are so much fun!  They're brutally honest and I love that.  I'm blessed.

I am currently in my 17th year of teaching, and I have no idea where the time went.  I spent the first 10 years of my career teaching students with special needs - I will spare you the labels, as those are unimportant and well, pretty ridiculous.  I worked with kiddos who had some tough breaks along the way in their short lives.  They experienced difficulty in the "regular class setting."  My question is, who doesn't?  I have yet to figure out what a "regular class" is.  More on that later.

I am in my third year teaching 4th graders at Oak Hill School in Evansville, Indiana.  Every single day is a new adventure and it's a blast.  For real.  I work with the best colleagues and my principal is overwhelmingly supportive.  I'm one of those teachers who is always looking to try new "stuff," in my classroom, especially with technology, and she is always there to cheer me on and say, "Go for it!"  As if that weren't enough, we have the most amazing, talented, generous parents and families who give so much to our school.  I cannot believe all the hours, talent, passion, and creativity they devote to our school.  There are no words to describe it, and I have never experienced  this level of support in my career - ever.  I don't think it gets better than that.  Why wouldn't I love my job?

My FANTABULOUS 4th graders  - May 2012

I don't have pets.  People ask me why, and the truth is, if it has more legs than I do, then I'm generally afraid of it.  True story.  I've been bitten by too many dogs, so even though they are way cute, they scare me.  Cats?  I just don't understand them.  Another reason I don't have pets is because I'm not home long enough to take care of them.  I stay active in several groups in our great community, I work on political campaigns, and I exercise.  When I'm not working, exercising, or volunteering, hanging with Caleb and my family, you can find me at our local hot yoga studio, Yoga 101, or any book store.

Caleb... also known as my Monkey Man... see why?

I don't have kids of my own, but I have a little guy in my life who absolutely means the world to me.  He belongs to my best friend and his name is Caleb.  He's the sunshine of my life.  People often ask me why I don't move somewhere "fun," or "warm," and the truth is, I can't leave Caleb.  
A few years ago, I had the chance to take a job in Washington, D.C., working for the U.S. Department of Education.  It took me a few days of soul searching to turn it down.  I've never regretted that decision, because I'm right where I'm supposed to be.  My heart tells me that's a fact.  I still go back to visit, but I always come back home.  :-)
Join me on my journey... it may get a little messy... and if it does, I think that means that it's supposed to...

June 2012 - Happy Birthday, America!  (Yes, I was really there!)

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."   
~Maya Angelou