Elizabeth (Beth) Bivins Teacher
Eng 111/112, Eng 232 (AB Tech),
English III Standard,
ACT Prep

Bio:  An Evolution of Mascots

A native of Johnson City, Tennessee, Ms. Bivins started as a Boone's Creek "Bar" (think Appalachian "bear") at Boone's Creek Elementary and Middle Schools before transferring to University High School and becoming a Junior Buccaneer. Theatre, forensics, Student Council (she served as Vice President and President) all things English/Humanities/Business, and nine clubs and organizations made high school crazy busy but memorable--so much so that she's never really left!

After graduating as salutatorian in May of 1985, she headed across University Parkway to Milligan College, where she became a Buffalo and enjoyed helping students and alumni in the Registrar's and Development Office, treaded the boards in the theatre workshop program, and immersed herself in all things music, including Ensemble, Concert Choir, and Chamber Singers.

After completing her Bachelor of Arts in 1988 (magna cum laude with a major in English and a minor in Theatre Arts), she travelled back to ETSU, where she became a Buccaneer in earnest and earned her Master's of Arts in Teaching in 1989 (+20 with emphasis in Social Sciences and Secondary Education).

Before moving to the Nashville area, she enjoyed teaching middle and high school students (grades 7-12) at her alma mater, University School, so she became a Jr. Buc once again. While there, she also taught at Kingsport Adult High School and Northeast State Technical Community College, where she  became a "Bear" in earnest, designed and implemented the first Introduction to Theatre program, and taught Developmental and Basic Writing, Introduction to Composition, and Humanities. 

In the middle of all this, she found time to participate in over twenty-five productions at the Johnson City Community Theatre. Favorite roles include Aggravain from Once Upon a Mattress, Emily Webb from Our Town, Miss Adelaide from Guys and Dolls, and The Baker's Wife from Into the Woods.

In 1992, she joined Williamson County Schools as a Brentwood High School "Bruin" (what is it with Bucs and Bears???) to teach AP Literature and Composition and Applied Communication. After school, she served as assistant coach for the forensics team and head coach for the school's only United States Academic Decathlon team. And she joined Pull-Tight Players, where she participated in several shows, most notably Cookie Cusack from Rumours and Mame in Mame.  

In 1997, she transferred to the district's then-newest school and became a Centennial High School Cougar. There, she taught everything from AP Literature and Composition, AP Language and Composition, ACT Preparation, Sociology, and all other levels of English from 9-12, standard and honors. While there, she served as Building Leadership Team Chair, participated in numerous SACS evaluation committees, coached forensics, and sponsored the Student Council, The Humanities Club, Rhythm and Shoes (ballroom swing/dancing), The Cougar Chronicle (newspaper) and the Inkslingers at Writing on the Wall (Creative Writing/Literary Magazine). She also supervised Credit Recovery and developed and implemented the school's first comprehensive 9-12 ACT Preparation Program. 

When Covid struck in 2020, family health concerns prompted her to move to the district's online program, Vanguard Virtual High School, and became a Viper. While there, she served as Student Council co-sponsor and worked in English, Sociology, and RTI. Though the pandemic presented numerous challenges, she absolutely loved the online format and all its opportunities for both students and teachers.

Along the way, she obtained ELA certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2009 and completed the renewal process in 2019.  She also became a reader for the College Board for AP Language and Composition in 2009. Shortly thereafter, she moved into the role of Table Leader and ultimately Early Table Leader (Sample Selector) under the leadership of Chief Reader Liz Wright.  Fiercely passionate about the necessity of developing critical thinking and argument skills in our graduates, she firmly believes in Real World Rhetoric and that Lang is LIFE!!

While in Franklin, she also served as the General Education Department Chair and English instructor for Williamson College, a private, non-denominational Christian institution in the Cool Springs/Franklin area. In her more than a decade there, she taught ESL, all levels of composition, and Speech, Sociology, and Skills for College Success. She enjoyed the autonomous learning format and the genuinely unique nature of the college's model and continues to offer distance learning courses from time to time. Sharing her enthusiasm and experience with others, she has, over the years, supervised student teachers from several Middle Tennessee colleges and universities (including Peabody), conducted numerous professional development workshops, and has served as a literacy content specialist for Instruction Partners.

After thirty years in Williamson County (34 total in Tennessee), she has come "home" to the mountains. Her parents met and married in Asheville in 1959 and retired to Leicester in 1996. Most of her family either lived or currently lives in this area, so she spent many summers and holidays in Buncombe County and is thrilled to become a riotous, rigorous, resourceful, resilient, responsive, and ready ROCKET!! This marks her third year in Rocket Country, and having met and worked with our student body, she's more excited than ever about meeting a new group of students and seeing just how much they can achieve!

A product of public education, she knows that all students can learn and deserve the best possible opportunities to explore and become their very best selves. She looks forward to rolling up her sleeves and getting to work in a fantastic school and community. Go Rockets!!!!!!!

When outside the classroom, her home away from home, she loves spending time with family and friends, laughing at her furry goofballs (two cats, Kanga and Roux), volunteering and singing in the choir, viewing and participating in good film and theatre, cutting a rug with some great ballroom/swing music, and doing almost anything involving water--especially the BEACH!!! (Lang is Life, but WATER is life, too!)

Education:
East Tennessee State University, M.A.T., 
English/Secondary Ed., 1989

Milligan College, B.A.,
English/Theatre Arts, 1988

Certifications:

English 7-12,  Speech 7-12,  History 7-12, Sociology 7-12

Tennessee Career Ladder 

NBCT, English Language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood,
2009 and 2019

ACT ACE Educator, The Basics, English, Mathematics, Reading,
Science, Plus Writing

Office Hours/Tutoring:

Ms. B can help you every day (Monday-Friday) after school from 3:00-3:30 p.m. in room 325, except in the event of faculty meetings or occasional appointments that cannot be scheduled at a later time. You will receive notice of these on your daily slides and as verbal reminders in  class.

If you need additional or different times, simply email for an appointment. Zoom/Google Meet tutoring is available if needed.  Evening and weekend hours are available by appointment. I'm here for you!
elizabeth.bivins@bcsemail.org 

Class Resources:

AB Tech Eng 111
Eng 111 Syllabus
To access course materials, go to AB  Tech Self-Service.
Log into Moodle and select our course.

English III Standard
English III Standard Syllabus
To access course materials, go to Canvas.
To access our in-depth course handbook, click here.