Campanella is PBES's top teacher
BY BRADLEY "B.J." DAVIS JR. Gulf Breeze News bjdavis@gulfbreezenews.com

Lauren Campanella/Special to Gulf Breeze News Debbie Campanella pretends to take a bite of the Golden Apple award.

Pensacola Beach Elementary School (PBES) Teacher of the Year Debbie Campanella would never have bet that she'd be 2006 PBES teacher of the year. In fact, she isn't a betting woman. She learned the hard way when she bet Bear Bryant would not lose to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl in 1973.

"I wasn't allowed to make a 'milkshake bet,' so, I was asked, 'what are you willing to bet?' I said I would bet my allegiance to Alabama," quips Campanella. Alabama went on to lose the bowl game, and she was forced to sign over her allegiance to LSU.

To this day, she jokes with friends and fellow teachers that her crimson and white garb hangs untouched in her closet since that bet was made over 30 years ago.

The second grade teacher is the 2006-2007 PBES teacher of the year, and credits her sense of humor. The 24- year teaching veteran places laughter at the top of the list of criteria to become a successful teacher.

"I really believe that teachers have to have a good sense of humor," she said. "And I'm trying to think if patience comes before perseverance, but they go hand in hand."

Campanella is a Pensacola area native who has lived in the area with the exception of her four-year stint at the University of New Orleans. There, she evolved into an LSU fan, filling the void of her once-loyal following of the University of Alabama. She is also the wife of 33 years to Santa Rosa Island Authority vice-chairman Dr. Thomas Campanella and mother of two: Lauren, 23, and Gregory, 22. She's taught second through fifth grade for the past 15 years at Pensacola Beach Elementary. The reason for the shift in grade levels, she explains, was her children. While they were attending PBES, Campanella moved grade levels to avoid teaching them

"The reason I moved around was Lauren and Gregory: they were back to back. I feel it wasn't fair to my own children to teach them. I think that the older they got, I would feel partial to them," she said.

Along with family involvement, Campanella is heavily involved in the community. She is quick to mention the local support that contributes to the school's success.

"There is strong community support of this school. We have a lot of volunteers that come in to help with things we don't always have time for," she said. Campanella's involvement in the community through organizations such as Pensacola Beach Optimist Club also plays a hand in her teaching.

PBES Principal Jeff Castleberry said this of Campanella: "She is a great resource for me to go to for the school. She's been very instrumental on the board of directors, involvement with the Pensacola Beach Optimist Club and the Community Church. She's just a great community person. I think Debbie is just a good-hearted person who loves kids, making her very deserving to be the Teacher of the Year."

Campanella said no two school days are the same. While curriculum plays a role in day-to-day teaching methods, teachers need to be ready for anything.

"There's never a typical day in the classroom. You can set out to be typical, but you have to be flexible," she said. She recalls a time when her class took advantage of a beautiful beach day by taking her class outdoors to read.

"One of the vocabulary words was 'horizon,' so we went out to the beach to view the horizon," she said.

Regardless of any given day's teaching plan, she's still modest about her distinction as Teacher of the Year.

"Anybody in this profession, every day that they walk into a classroom deserves this."