Arch Insights
Chapmanville’s Henson Named Arch Coal
Teacher Achievement Award Recipient
CHARLESTON,
W.VA. (March 1, 2006) – Although Barbara Henson
officially became a teacher at age 8, she didn’t
earn her degree until 24 years later. “My father
was killed in an accident, which left mom and me
to take care of five children,” she notes. “I
taught them to tie their shoes, keep themselves
clean, get along with each other, help with
household chores, and of course, I helped with
lots of homework,” she adds.
Henson eventually married and had children of
her own. Continuing her education was the
furthest thing from Henson’s mind, until the day
her doctor brought it up. “He questioned me
about my future and told me I was too smart to
just live my life watching soap operas and
getting fat lying on the sofa,” she recalls.
“With my children now being of school age, he
suggested I go back to school and do something
meaningful with my life. I enrolled in college
the very next semester. At age 32, I received my
degree and became a teacher.”
That was 24 years ago, and Henson now ranks
among the best in her profession. She was among
only 12 teachers statewide to receive a 2006
Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award. Robert W.
Shanks, president of Arch Coal’s eastern
operations, representing Steven F. Leer, Arch
Coal president and chief executive officer, made
the announcement during a presentation ceremony
at the state capitol. He was accompanied by West
Virginia Governor Joe Manchin; First Lady Gayle
Manchin; Secretary of Education and Arts Kay
Goodwin; Deputy State Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Jack McClanahan; and West Virginia Education
Association President Charles Delauder.
"Barbara Henson has dedicated her life to
teaching," says Leer. "A physician suggested
that she should do something meaningful, and
like her students, Barbara listened. She is
driven to be a contributor to her family and
society. I'm proud that West Virginia has people
like Barbara, who make the conscious decision to
become teachers and to better entire
communities."
Henson teaches mathematics to fifth-grade
students at Chapmanville Middle School,
Chapmanville. “My enthusiasm for learning and my
positive mental attitude are the most important
things I do for my students,” she notes. “They
see that even if things go wrong you can learn
from them and not be afraid to learn new things.
They see that learning is what makes us grow
into great people.
“I am motivated to teach because I have
something to offer my students,” Henson adds. “I
know I help to prepare them for the complicated
and unknown future that lies ahead of them. At
the end of each year, when I see just how far my
students have come, I sit back, smile, and say
to myself as I reflect on the year, ‘This is a
good thing, and I surely chose the right
profession!’”
Henson earned her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees at Marshall University and additional
credentials at W.Va. State College. She
continues her development through a range of
training and learning opportunities. Henson is a
member of her school’s Staff Development Council
and the State Differentiated Instruction Cadre.
She has served as a presenter on the advantages
of differentiated instruction and as a member of
the Curriculum Development and several textbook
committees. Henson is a mentor for The Beginning
Educator Internship Program and a coach for an
Academic Challenge Team that won county,
regional and national competitions over the past
three years. She also coaches fifth- and
sixth-grade Math Field Day teams. Henson further
serves her community through involvement in
church activities and civic organizations.
In addition to recognition, award recipients
receive a $2,500 unrestricted cash prize, a
distinctive trophy and a classroom plaque. The
West Virginia Foundation for the Improvement of
Education makes a $1,000 award to each
recipient’s school, for use with at-risk
students.
Arch Coal is supported by the West Virginia
Department of Education, the West Virginia
Education Association and the West Virginia
Library Commission in program promotion. Arch
Coal’s Teacher Achievement Awards is the longest
running, privately sponsored teacher recognition
program in the state. Nominations of the
teachers are made by the public and selection is
made by a blue-ribbon panel of the teachers’
peers – previous recipients of the award.
Arch Coal is the nation’s second largest coal
producer and mines clean-burning, low-sulfur
coal exclusively. The company is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and
maintains its corporate headquarters in St.
Louis, Mo.