Department of Education Announces Wyoming Teacher of the Year

A physical science, physics, and advanced chemistry teacher at Newcastle High School, has been named Wyoming’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

The Wyoming Department of Education recently announced that Zach Beam, a teacher at Newcastle High School, has been named Wyoming’s 2023 Teach of the Year. According to the Department of Education, Beam’s teaching model and approach has changed several times over the past decade that he has been teaching, however, his goal has always remained the same; to help students learn scientific concepts and enjoy the process of doing science and engineering.

Beam, who has taught in Newcastle for the past nine years, has presented at state and national conferences on managing a paperless classroom, the logistics of summer field science, and implementing a student makerspace to support student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics  (STEM). In the fall of 2023, he will teach a STEM Lab in Newcastle. The Wyoming Teacher of the Year comes with the significant responsibility of representing the teaching profession in Wyoming. The Wyoming Teacher of the Year acts as liaison among the teaching community, Wyoming Legislature, Wyoming Department of Education, districts and communities. In addition, the Teacher of the Year is an education ambassador to businesses, parents, service organizations, and media, as well as an education leader involved in teacher forums and education reform.