Inspiration from teacher Kristen Rafferty
Reply
Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Texas teacher Jasmine Thomas earns recognition
Here is a teacher you simply must meet: Jasmine Thomas of Houston, Texas. She has been named the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year for Humble Independent School District.
Since 2022, Jasmine has taught fourth grade there at Autumn Elementary School. In addition to teaching, Jasmine is also a part of the Autumn Creek Elementary Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) team. Pouring positivity into the students and staff of Autumn Creek Elementary is part of her daily routine.
Jasmine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theater and Communication Studies from Southwestern University in 2012.
The title of Humble ISD 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year comes with a check for $10,000.
Share this:
Spanish-language teacher Marilyn Barrueta remembered
It is always a wonderful thing when an exceptional educator is recognized for their endeavors. The recognition inspires the rest of us to work harder. I certainly experienced such inspiration when I read the story of Marilyn Barrueta, a Spanish-language teacher from Virginia. This innovative and tireless educator was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2005, after a lengthy and illustrious career that spanned 48 years.
Marilyn was born November 28, 1935. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1957, and completed graduate work at several distinguished institutions, including Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Virginia.
For many years, Marilyn taught Spanish, Advanced Placement Spanish, and Spanish for Native Speakers at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to working at Yorktown High, Marilyn taught English as a second language, math, and social studies at Stratford Junior High School in Virginia. Marilyn also taught summer school sessions for Arlington’s adult education program.
Marilyn’s former students remember her influence on their lives with fondness. “She challenged me beyond just the classroom,” recalls former student Julianne Koch, “and when I look back at how much I have grown in the past several years, I know much of it is because of her.”
This most impressive educator was also greatly admired by her peers, and several took the occasion of her induction to express their admiration. “Most impressive to me,” expressed Bill A. Heller, Department Chair of Perry High School, “is Marilyn’s tireless pursuit of knowledge. Through the lens of her experience, she is able to examine and evaluate the most promising new research, techniques and materials, and integrate those new findings with the very best of her vast repertoire of highly effective classroom-tested activities,” he said.
Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion passed away on November 4, 2010, in McLean, Virginia. She was 74 years old.
Share this:
Alice Burke: From teacher to trailblazing politician
Elementary school teacher Alice Driscoll Burke of Massachusetts was the first woman in New England to serve as a city mayor. Photo credit: The Boston Globe
There are many excellent educators who have established a career in the political sphere, even becoming trailblazers. One of these is Alice Burke, a teacher who also served as the first woman mayor in New England.
Alice Driscoll Burke was born on June 19, 1892, in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. At only four years old, she became an orphan. After her parents passed away, she was raised by her paternal grandparents. As a teenager, she graduated from Northbridge High School, with honors, and in 1911 she earned her teaching degree at Fitchburg Normal School.
Once she completed her education, Alice accepted a teaching position in Hampden County, Massachusetts. She taught sixth grade in schools in the town of Westfield.
In the mid-to-late 1910s, Burke also taught n Westfield’s Americanization program, teaching immigrants about United States history, government, and culture to prepare for their citizenship tests. Ironically, she did this at a point in history when women were denied the right to vote.
Unfortunately, the Westfield School Committee adopted a policy of allowing only women who were single to be employed as teachers in their district, so Alice, who was married, lost her job. That fall, she was elected to a position on the Westfield School Committee.
After teaching for 20 years, Alice was elected mayor of Westfield, the first female to be elected mayor in the state of Massachusetts or in the region of New England. She served in the position from 1940—1943, from 1954—1955, and from 1958—1958. From 1968 to 1973, she served as a member-at-large of the Westfield City Council. However, her career as a politician was also marked by significant defeats. A Democrat, Alice ran unsuccessful campaigns for the Massachusetts Senate in 1944 and for the House of Representatives in 1946. With the passage of the 19th Amendment, Alice was eager to exercise her own right to vote.
Alice Burke passed away on May 14, 1974, in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was 81 years old. To learn more about this remarkable educator and politician, click on this link to a biography about her published by the Historical Journal of Massachusetts.
Share this:
Michele Dunaway: English teacher and author of popular romance novels
Michele Dunaway, an English and Journalism teacher from St Louis, Missouri, has published more than 29 popular romance novels. Photo credit: Michele Dunaway
Students who were in the classes of Michele Dunaway, an English and Journalism teacher from Missouri, may be surprised to learn that their teacher is a popular author of romance novels. In fact, she has published over 29 romance novels and she has sold over 1.7 million books globally.
Michele was born on July 14, 1965, in St. Louis, Missouri. She says she decided she wanted to be a teacher and an author by the time she was in the third grade at Mary Queen of Peace School in Webster Groves. And she was writing, even at that young age. After she earned her diploma from Kirkwood High School in 1983, Michele launched into her college courses so she could achieve her goals. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri at St. Louis in 1987. She earned her Master’s degree at Webster University in 1996.
Once she earned her degrees, Michelle accepted a position as a middle school teacher in Fenton, Missouri. She worked there from 1994 to 2000. Next she taught for one year at the high school level in Brentwood, Missouri, and then she relocated to teach English at Pacific High School in Pacific, Missouri.
Michele published her first novel, A Little Office Romance, in 2000. The volume was the first in a long line of romance novels. Many of her books have a setting in her native St. Louis.
In 2012, Michele was named the High School Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America.
With all this success, would Michele quite teaching? “Writing is a job and a hobby so I’m always working,” she declares. “I also know that I will teach for a long time—it’s a myth that writers can immediately quit their day jobs, not that I want to do that right now anyway,” she continues. “I love to teach and write, so I’m living the best of both worlds,” she concludes.
You can read more about this Chalkboard Champion at her website.
