Bubbly. Enthusiastic. Energetic. A real dynamo.

These words friends use to describe Betty Dieckmann aren’t adjectives typically used for an 80-year-old lady. But then she isn’t your ordinary lady.

No one meeting her for the first time can believe she is 80, especially her students.

“She’s all the time happy, always friendly and energetic,” said Luciano Calva, one of her English as a second language students.

“She’s dynamic in class,” said fellow student Alegandro Reyes.

Luciano Clava, left, and Alejandro Reyes, right, joined their Southwestern Community College English as a second language instructor Betty Dieckmann in her home as she celebrated her 80th birthday Oct. 7. “Mrs. Betty is more than our teacher, she’s our friend,” said Clava, who describes her as “energetic and all-the-time happy.”

She might be 80 but she looks and acts like she is 60 max, friends like Nancy Greene said. “Betty is the perfect southern lady, even if she did come here from Chicago.”

This dainty petite bundle of endless enthusiasm and joy retired from the nursing profession and moved to Franklin to be near her sister, Barbara Barnes.

“I took Spanish in high school but I mainly learned Spanish in my 21 years of working as a nurse with the Chicago Department of Health. We were located right in the center of a Puerto Rican community,” Dieckmann said.


For her, retirement didn’t mean slowing down or relaxing. Instead it meant taking on a whirlwind of new interests, including volunteering to teach ESL at St. Francis Catholic Church.

“When Southwestern Community College acquired the program, Kay Wolf, who works with SCC’s basic skills assessment, asked me if I wanted to keep teaching ESL but get paid for it. I said, ‘OK.’ Wouldn’t you?”

She teaches classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7-9:30 p.m., reaching a wide population of Hispanic people.

“In my class I have grandparents, parents and many young men,” she said. “Some of them are migrant workers who work in the tomato fields. They pick tomatoes all day in the hot sun, rush in, wash up and come to my class. They are so determined to better themselves and to get a better job. It’s a struggle for them to make class and when they put forth so much effort, I try to equal that effort and make class rewarding for them.”

Her teaching partner Nancy Deeks said Dieckmann “loves her students and they love her. She kisses them and hugs them and shows them such affection. She is the reason we have so many students.”

“I try very hard to make everyone feel comfortable because I know the better students may be bored while those who aren’t doing so well are really struggling,” Dieckmann said.

“She makes the class relevant for them,” said Deeks. “A student may be having difficulty at work because they don’t understand what their boss is telling them so Betty asks what line of work they are in and tailors vocabulary just for them. For instance, if they are in culinary, Betty helps them with kitchen terminology.”

One of the ways Dieckmann teaches numbers is by slipping in some North Carolina trivia. For instance, she will tell her students North Carolina ranks tops in 1. Christmas trees 2. apples 3. turkeys 4. poinsettias, etc.

Her biggest challenge, she said, is to get the students to speak in class so she tries to make it more like an informal get-together rather than a formal class.

“I’ll ask them what they did over the weekend and sometimes that gets them to open up. If someone says he washed his car I’ll draw him out by asking what kind of car, what color it is…whatever is important to him,” Dieckmann said.

“Betty puts a lot of thought and preparation into each of her lessons,” said former teacher Genia Edmonds. “She keeps an eye out for what’s going on in their native country and brings newspaper clippings to read to them. She recognizes their special holidays and plays Spanish music. You can tell she loves her job- but more importantly, she loves her students.”

She is really involved with the Spanish people,” said Calva.

For Luis and Alba Zamrano, 80 year-old Betty Dieckmann, right, is more than just their English as a second language for Southwestern Community College. She is their friend and mentor and studied with them until they achieved their citizenship papers. “She’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met,” said Alba Zambrano.

That involvement includes extra support outside the classroom. In her home she coached husband and wife, Luis and Alba Zambrano of Equador, and studied with them until they received their citizenship.

“She’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met,” said Alba Zambrano.

Reyes, her ESL student for two year now, describes Betty as “more than a teacher, she’s our friend.”

This friend brings bouquets of flowers and goodies to each class.

“Betty brings in beautiful things to nourish their lives and she fills the classroom with joy and beauty; she creates such a warm, caring learning environment,” Deeks and Edmonds agreed.

“I just pray every night that I can give my students something useful,” said this teacher who admits to being “spirit-driven.”

“I am so thankful for the abundance in my life and I try to share that abundance- whether it is time, talent or money,” she said.

She also shares in the success of her students. One of her former students now has his own business in Franklin.

“He speaks such beautiful English now and it makes me so proud every time I see him,” she said.

“Seeing their success is one of the best things about by job-and so are their smiling faces. Some of them smile from here to New York City.”

If you are interested in taking Southwestern Community College’s free English as a second language classes or in teaching a course, contact Wolf at 586-4091, ext. 262., or 1.800.447.4091, ext. 262.

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