Back-to-School Teacher Highlights: Dianna Minor
“I don’t remember ever thinking I would become a teacher; I just was a teacher.”
For Dianna Minor, her family history is rich with Alabama educators. Her elders paved a path for Dianna (and countless others) and made the career a natural fit. Reflecting, she can see how her lineage spurred her toward a life in education:
"Education is ingrained in the fabric of my family...My great aunt (Dotha Will Moss) was one of the first African-American female principals in the state of Alabama during the 1950s. She was principal of one of the Rosenwald schools in Pickens County Alabama. The Rosenwald schools were established to provide educational opportunities in the largely rural and segregated South. My other great aunts were teachers and my mom's first cousin was one of the first three black students to integrate the University of Alabama Law School. So, education has always been highly valued in my family which is why I am so passionate about every child getting a quality education."
In her work as an instructional coach at Berry Middle School, she believes that every child can learn and that, with the right tools and support, they can be successful. When asked about the importance of reading for students, particularly in middle school, she said:
“It's important for students at the secondary level to read for information and to read to make sense of the world around them… to question and think about what they read and become critical thinkers.”
But Dianna’s impact on our community does not stop with her individual students. Dianna is the chair of Hoover’s Diverse Literature Initiative committee, which “aims to expose students to multicultural texts in order to gain better understandings of others' backgrounds - as well as their own.”
She is also one of the leaders in Hoover City School’s teacher-led book study of ‘How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi. With over 200 teachers participating, this is one of the largest they’ve seen.
Outside of her role in Hoover, Dianna is an instructor at UAB. She also provides a wealth of educational information to the public on her Twitter. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. graduate chapter in Shelby County, AL. When she’s not busy changing lives, Dianna is a Grey’s Anatomy fanatic, a writer, and a traveler.
Dianna, thank you so much for speaking with us and for all that you do for this community.
P.S. The Rosenwald schools are a critical part of educational history in the South. There are groups working to preserve and rehabilitate these historic places. To learn more about this history and to donate, visit here.