Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

IL educator Olga Nunez Johnson receives 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching

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Olga Nunez Johnson, a first grade teacher in Chicago, Illinois, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Photo Credit: Block Club Chicago

I always enjoy sharing stories of outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Olga Nunez Johnson of Chicago, Illinois. She has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Olga teaches first grade at Thomas J. Waters School in Chicago, where she has taught for 12 years. As a whole, her career as an educator spans 29 years.

In her classroom, Olga prioritizes her students’ needs, fostering a supportive and purposeful student-centered environment. According to her co-workers, her personality and commitment to creating a respectful, challenging, and inclusive classroom environment make her an outstanding educator.

Olga was born into a family of immigrants from Cuba. She was born in Spain before coming to the United States when she was just a toddler. Her mother, also named Olga, was a stay-at-home mom and her father, Luis, worked as a machinist in a factory.

The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for leaving a lasting, positive effect on the lives of their students and in their school communities. Olga is one of ten educators in her state who were selected from over 600 candidates teaching at the Pre-K to third grade level.

“These exceptional educators have demonstrated an unwavering commitment, innovative spirit, and transformative influence on their students and school communities,” asserts Alan Mather, President of The Golden Apple Foundation. “They are not merely outstanding instructors, but impactful leaders as well,” he continues. “The 2024 award recipients will help shape the future of teaching, empowering the next generation of talented educators to make a profound difference in even more young lives,” Mather concludes.

Learn more about Olga Nunez Johnson by clicking on this link to Block Club Chicago.

Chalkboard books make inspirational summer reading!

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I love to tell stories about outstanding teachers. There are so many phenomenal stories that could be told! I believe that teachers represent the best our country has to offer, and, as a group, they are among the most dedicated, hardworking, and talented people anyone can know.

During this summer vacation, you may be interested in reading stories about some of these wonderful teachers. I have included 12 of them in my book, Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers Who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students. I shared 12 more stories in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and their Deeds Valor. The educators included in these volumes were not only talented teachers, but they were also pioneers, trailblazers, and social reformers influential in America’s history. Both books are available online Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.

It fills me with joy to be able to share the stories of just a few of the amazing individuals who have made such significant contributions to the lives of so many. And it fills me with pride to know that, every day, talented educators all over the country are making significant contributions to the lives of their students.

Happy summer reading to all!

Christy Todd named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Middle school music educator Christy Todd has been named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: All on Georgia

Our nation’s students are indeed fortunate to have so many exceptional teachers in the classroom. One of them is Christy Todd, a middle school teacher from Georgia. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Christy teaches music education to students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades at Rising Starr Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia. But her influence goes far beyond her own music classroom. To make music education accessible to all students on her campus, Christy launched a collaboration between the Music Department and her school’s Special Education classrooms. Impressively, the program has reached more than 10,000 students over the last 15 years. 

In addition to her classroom instruction, Christy founded her district’s Community for Creativity initiative, a program that supports schoolwide creation of songs, podcasts, videos, and audio books. These products are released through the school’s recording label, Hall Pass Entertainment.

Christy began her teaching career as a Choir Director. In fact, she still actively conducts honor choirs, along with publishing articles and research for various state, national, and international education journals. She was also a founding member of the Story Arts Collective, a group of education and industry leaders committed to growing Georgia’s creative work force.
 
Her recognition as the Georgia State Teacher of the Year is not the only honor Christy has received. In 2013, she was named a Grammy Music Teacher of the Year National Quarter-Finalist. In 2016, she was honored as the Georgia Middle School Association’s Teacher of the Year, and in 2022, she was named Fayette County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She has also been honored as a key youth influencer by the United States Navy’s Blue Angels.

Christy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Shorter College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and her Master’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University. 

Teacher Art Kimora has been designated a Living Treasure of Hawaii

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Science educator Art Kimura has been named a Living Treasure of Hawaii for his work in the classroom. Photo Credit: PAEMST

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding educator who has worked with young people in our public schools. One of them is high school science teacher Arthur Kimora. He has been designated a Living Treasures of Hawaii for his work in the classroom.

Arthur, who prefers to be called Art, worked as  an educator for 48 years. He spent twelve years as a biology teacher, nine years as an aerospace teacher, five years as a school administrator, and 22 years as an education specialist with the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium, University of Hawaii.

Furthermore, Art is a US veteran. He served on active duty for five years in the US Air Force and then 23 years in the Hawaii Air Guard, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

As for honors and recognition, Art garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in 1983; the Phi Beta Kappa; the Biology Teacher of the Year Award; the Civil Air Patrol Crown Circle Award; the Air Force Association Christa McAuliffe Award; and the Living Treasures of Hawaii designation.

Art says that engaging students includes the use of demonstrations, hands on inquiry-based laboratory activities, project-based learning, using a real-world context with a culminating demonstration or challenge, and using community resources and experiences, including global connections and collaboration.

“Consistently, I seek opportunities offered by the community,” says Arthur. For him, examples of this include being the first class to sail on an oceanographic research vessel, serving on the zoo’s education board, and camping and touring at night in the zoo. He has also organized trips to the science center, planned space conferences and our own planetary themed summer camps, and organized experimentation in the field and lab activities.

Art earned his Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and his Master’s degree in Science Education, both from the University of Hawaii.

Arthur Kimura: a true Chalkboard Champion.