There was never a doubt in Tara Bastian’s mind that she would become an educator.
Bastian is a former high school English and drama teacher in Ontario who will be vice principal at Nyssa Middle School this year. She comes from a long line of teachers, from her great-grandfather on down.
“We love to teach,” Bastian said about her family.
Bastian began her career in 2009 in the Melba School District as a high school English teacher. She loves building students up and “seeing them reach their full potential.”
Born in Kansas City, Bastian spent most of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest, mainly in Bellingham and Seattle. She later attended Boise State University, where she earned an education degree.
In the Melba district, with a population of nearly 600 in the town, she taught English and was a department head. Bastian said she understands the dynamics of a rural community.
She said in such areas, the school is the center of the community.
“All events in town happen at the school,” she said. “If it’s not happening at the school, it’s not big news.”
Bastian said that in a rural area, everybody plays a role in raising children in the community, which, for a kid, is “loving and formative” and is among the many benefits of small-town life.
She said there are challenges in some rural communities regarding school funding. In Oregon, school districts get state money based on enrollment. The more students they enroll, the more state money is paid.
Bastian lives in Kuna, Idaho, with her husband, a Boise cabinet maker and her kids, one of whom is studying to be a teacher at Boise State University.
She said much has changed in education from when she began teaching 15 years ago. Many are related to technology, Bastian said.
She said that schools went from having a computer lab with only so many machines students could use. Bastian said teachers would have to schedule student time to spread out access.
Then, she said, there was a computer in every home, and students got their own cell phones. She said teachers were initially encouraged to integrate technology into their lessons, given the many online programs. Now, she said, there has been a shift among educators to understand that the phone in a kid’s pocket is a distraction. Bastian said that cell phones have impacted how kids communicate with one another and how they view themselves.
Bastian said the way students interact on social media is educators’ most significant challenge. She said she was “really proud” of Nyssa for banning cell phones in the classroom.
The other challenge for educators is effectively using artificial intelligence in the classroom and teaching students to use the technology responsibly.
“We’re learning how to use it,” she said. “I think that’s the important thing.”
For Bastian, who remains active in theater and drama, her “mantra” is to greet three people daily when she arrives on campus. She said her job is to bring someone joy and make them smile.
In education, the past few years have been challenging, she said.
“Joy is how we survive hard times,” Bastian said. “Joy can help someone when things are hard.”
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