After 35 years in education, Diana Rhea is set to retire, bringing closure to a career that has taken her to classrooms all across Arkansas and through nearly every elementary and middle school grade level. Working with students of all ages helped Mrs. Rhea discover a passion for teaching middle school math in particular, where she embraced the challenge of making the subject engaging and relatable.
“I feel like it’s a major turning point for kids,” Mrs. Rhea explained, “Middle school math is a place where I can really make a change and convince those kids, ‘you might not choose an engineering career, but you don't have to be afraid of numbers.’ It’s about learning the logic and structure. Just getting familiar with that and knowing you can do it.”
Mrs. Rhea is a believer in learning through play. Her classroom activities often include puzzles, games, or crafts that heavily rely on mathematical principles. One of her favorite games to play with students is challenging them to think of a career that doesn't involve mathematics. Students have suggested cooks, artists, farmers, gift wrappers, and more, but Mrs. Rhea only needs to reply “ingredient measurements, pigment ratio, crop yield per acre, and surface area!” In all her years of teaching, no student has ever won this challenge.
Students of Mrs. Rhea playing a round of Battleship using nothing but graph paper and pencils
Diana Rhea grew up the daughter in a Navy family, stationed in San Diego, California. It was at Lafayette Elementary that her path to teaching began. Her 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Burns, was “ahead of her time” as Mrs. Rhea recalls. Mrs. Burns made the extraordinary effort to create a positive learning environment where students could thrive independently, learn from one another, and take responsibility. She would allow Diana to guide small groups as a “mini tutor” for her peers. At the time, the young Diana didn’t realize she was practicing teaching, she just loved seeing faces light up when her classmates grasped a new concept. That feeling planted the seed for a lifelong passion for education.
During junior high, Diana moved to Oklahoma with her mother and later graduated from Gore High School, about 50 miles west of Van Buren. She attended West Arkansas College (now the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith), where she played basketball. There she met her husband, Shannon Rhea, a fellow athlete who is now the assistant football coach here at Gravette. Diana continued her education at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, earning a bachelor's degree in education. She began teaching elementary in Northwest Arkansas and later moved to the River Valley, where she spent much of her early career.
Diana Rhea poses with students holding donations from the food pantry, generously provided by WoodmenLife, a non-profit organization where Mrs. Rhea serves as president.
Around 3 years ago, Mrs. Rhea moved to Gravette after her husband landed a job in Bentonville. She briefly taught at Gentry before joining the Gravette School District, where she found a sense of community that made it the perfect place to continue her career. "I think I've just been blessed to be here.” she said, “I really have. You know, I've been at a lot of schools, but this one just feels like home."
Throughout her years leading classrooms, Mrs. Rhea has embraced a simple yet powerful philosophy that she displays in bright letters on her classroom wall: "Do right, help others." For Diana, teaching is also about building character, fostering independence, and guiding young people to become confident problem-solvers. She believes that when students learn to think critically and support one another, they are better prepared for success in all areas of life.
Students of Mrs. Rhea playing a paper folding game, with her philosophy "Do right, Help others" on the wall behind them.
Diana’s classroom has always been a place where students could learn through doing, make mistakes without fear, and explore different ways of thinking. She always strived to impress upon her students that perseverance and a positive mindset makes the difference. She drew a comparison between teaching and the Disney animated film Monsters, Inc. Just as the monsters in the movie discover that laughter generates far more energy than fear, she believes that building positive, patient, and joyful relationships with students leads to better outcomes than stress or intimidation. “You know,” Mrs. Rhea said, “you get a whole lot more power out of the laughter than you do out of the scaring screams.”
As she steps into retirement, Diana plans to get more involved in her church community, taking part in mission work that she previously couldn’t with a day job. She also looks forward to dedicating more time to charitable initiatives like Make-A-Wish, taking on a more active role in planning and organizing. In the years ahead, Diana will be spending more time with her family, tending her garden, and visiting old friends who are still teaching. She lives in Bella Vista with her husband and their dog, and her adult son, who also lives in the area, is engaged to be married soon!
We are grateful that Diana chose to spend her final years in education with Gravette, bringing her wisdom, enthusiasm, and commitment to the education process through joy. Thank you, Mrs. Rhea, for sharing your passion with students and leaving a legacy of learning and leadership on the youth of Gravette, and all of Arkansas.
Diana Rhea stands with fellow volunteers last February, where they served a hot meal to those in need, including Chicken Pot Pie, biscuits, fruit, and Strawberry Cake.
