Texas teacher earns 2024 National High School Musical Theatre Award

Posted on by
Reply

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on an exceptional teacher who has earned accolades for his work with young people. Today, I highlight Paul Fillingim, an artistic director at Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas. He is one of two teachers in the country who has been honored with the 2024 Inspiring Teacher Award from the Jimmy Awards. The Jimmy Awards, also known as The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, is known for showcasing the best talent that the country has to offer.

To learn more about Paul Fillingim, view this four-minute YouTube video below:

TN teacher Emily McDonald garners Excellence in STEM Teaching Award

Posted on by
Reply

Congratulations to high school STEM teacher Emily McDonald of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has garnered an Excellence in STEM Teaching Award. Photo Credit: Emily Ann McDonald

Congratulations are due to high school STEM teacher Emily McDonald from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has garnered an Excellence in STEM Teaching Award.

The Excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Teaching Award acknowledges a teacher who embodies STEM-integrated teaching strategies, classroom innovation, and whose efforts have resulted in positive student learning outcomes.

Emily teaches mathematics at University High School in the Hamilton County School District. University High is part of a unique partnership between the school district and the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC). In fact, the high school is located right on the university campus. The school serves students at no cost. The cost of the program is supported financially through grants and shared resources. Emily has taught at the school for nine years. Throughout her career, Emily has taught courses in Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Honors Calculus, and ACT Prep.

This innovative educator has a reputation for engaging her students by presenting them with real-world scenarios and relevant problems, while at the same time nurturing their independence. “In my classroom, I strive to foster a culture where students understand the application of mathematics in their everyday lives,” she declares. In developing her curriculum, she allows for diverse perspectives and interests, and she values choice. She strives to empower her students with problem-solving skills that set them up for success in their future educational and career choices. Furthermore, by emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of STEM fields, she illustrates how mathematics connects to technology and practical applications.

Emily earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction in 2015, both from Tennessee Technical University. She earned her PhD in STEM Education with a concentration in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2015. She is also a Google Certified Trainer.

Elem teacher De’Shawn Washington named 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

Elementary school teacher De’Shawn Washington of Lexington, Massachusetts, has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. He is the first African American man to be so honored. Photo credit: Massachusetts Teachers Association

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is De’Shawn Washington, an elementary school teacher from Massachusetts. He has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

The honored educator is the first African American man to be honored with Massachusetts’ top educator honor. “It starts with having the Black students in the classroom seeing their future selves as an older person, as a teacher, in a classroom,” De’Shawn asserts.

De’Shawn teaches a fourth grade inclusion classroom at Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington. His career as an educator spans eight years, four of them at Hastings Elementary. “It’s all about the passion, right?” declares De’Shawn. “Teaching is a calling. I’m very fortunate to be in education and be in this work today,” he concludes.

In addition to his work with his young students, De’Shawn is a member of his district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Input Team; the Elementary Schedule Review Committee; and the Student Success Team. He is also a member of the School Site Council. Prior to his work in Lexington, he taught in Boston Public Schools.

As if all that were not enough, De’Shawn organizes workshops at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, to help pre-service teachers pass the Massachusetts Tests for Education Licensure. He has presented and published about culturally responsive instruction. He also volunteers as a Big Brother.

He received Lexington Public Schools’ Core Values Award in April 2021 for building and sustaining a sense of community in his classroom.

De’Shawn earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance in 2013. He earned his Master’s degree in Elementary Education in 2018 and a second Master’s degree in Special Education in 2022, all from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Currently, he is working on his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.

 

Michigan STEM teacher Colleen Cain conducts experiments in zero gravity

Posted on by
Reply

Middle school STEM teacher Colleen Cain from Troy Michigan, got an opportunity to test classroom experiments during a zero gravity flight. Photo credit: The Oakland Press

It is always exciting when an educator gets an opportunity to enjoy a unique experience that sharpens her teaching skills. Colleen Cain, a middle school STEM teacher from Michigan, was given such an opportunity last March. She travelled to Fort Lauderdale to test classroom experiments during a zero gravity flight.

Colleen experienced 11 minutes of weightlessness during a series of maneuvers aboard a specially-modified Boeing 727 aircraft. The flight, which has been compared to riding a roller coaster up and down steep hills, allows teachers and researchers to float freely at the top of each maneuver. Over the course of 30 maneuvers during one flight, Colleen conducted several experiments that her students had been working on for over a year.

The outstanding teacher was offered the opportunity when she attended a conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, during the summer of 2022. There she met educators involved in the Embedded Teacher Program,  a partnership between the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, the National Space Society, and Space for Teachers.

The most difficult part of the experience, says Colleen, was designing experiments that could be performed in short time periods, since the window of time in which the participants were weightless was so brief. “It was a challenge because you had to design an experiment in micro-gravity you had to do in 20-second bursts,” Colleen examined. “Your first instinct is to start swimming, but they warn you not to, since you have nothing to push off on or stabilize yourself.” In the future, Colleen says, her experience will impact how she teaches her students. “t was so incredible,” she remarked. “It’s such a unique experience that I get to share with my students.”

Colleen teaches science to seventh graders at Larson Middle School in Troy, Michigan. Her career as an educator spans 19 years, nine of them at Larson. She is a National Geographic Certified Teacher.

Maryland teacher and community activist Rose Sommerfield

Posted on by
Reply

Many dedicated educators work diligently on humanitarian projects to improve conditions for others in their community. One who did this was Rose Sommerfield, a teacher from Baltimore, Maryland, who was an activist and social worker for the Jewish community in her city.

Rose was born into a middle-class German Jewish family in Baltimore in 1874. From 1889 to 1899 she taught in public schools in Baltimore. During those years, Rose became interested in the First Grade Teachers’ Association, and greatly influenced the organization’s policies. In addition, she established the first Mothers’ Meetings held in a Baltimore public school.

Rose was instrumental in the organization of her city’s Daughters of Israel and the Baltimore Section of the Council of Jewish Women. In fact, she was the first secretary of both organizations. She was also involved in a day nursery, the First Jewish Working Girls Club, and the Maccabeans, an association of men who did volunteer work with Jewish boys. In addition, Rose authored many published articles on educational and philanthropic subjects.

In 1899, Rose relocated to New York, where she organized the  vocational course for the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls. She was instrumental in the development of the Home, where she served as Resident Director from 1899 to 1926. In addition to this work, Rose also organized the Clara de Hirsch Home for Immigrant Girls, the Welcome House Settlement house, and the Model Employment Bureau. And, as if all this were not enough, she helped to reorganize the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society and the Virginia, a non-sectarian hotel for working girls.

The indefatigable teacher and activist passed away on August 5, 1952. She was 78 years old. To read more about her, see this article published by Women of America.