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.

The valuable contributions of school libraries

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Most educators would agree that school library programs are extremely valuable to students. But did you know that, according to recent studies, strong school libraries help to increase standardized test scores? Statistics show that public schools with strong school library programs outperform those without such programs on high-stakes standardized tests. This is true regardless of parent education, poverty levels, ethnicity, or the percentage of English language learners found in the population of the school. Increases in library program elements correspond to standardized test scores at all grade levels, including elementary, middle school, and high school.

Library elements that contribute to increased test scores include the total number of hours the library is open, the total amount of technology available in the library, the total services provided by trained library staff, the presence of a program of curriculum-integrated information with literacy instruction, the informal instruction of students in the use of resources, providing teachers with information about new resources, and providing reference assistance to both teachers and students.

A strong school library program is described as one that provides a full-time teacher/librarian, a full-time paraprofessional, a robust and up-to-date collection of digital, print, and media resources with a budget to support it, and abundant access to the library’s facilities, technology, and resources. How well does your school’s library program meet the criteria?

To learn more, read the report, Remodeling Literacy Learning: Making Room for What Works, which details key findings from a nationwide survey of more than 2,400 educators representing all grade levels and subject areas. The report investigates the connection between professional learning, educator collaboration, and student learning.

Kentucky teacher Kyri Demby is also a musician, author, and motivational speaker

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Elementary school teacher Kyri Demby of Kentucky has also earned acclaim as a musician, author, and motivational speaker. Photo Credit: Kentucky Department of Education

Elementary school teacher Kyri Demby has earned a name for himself as a musician, author, and motivational speaker from Kentucky.

Kyri currently teaches music and art in grades kindergarten through five at Jacob Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. His career as an educator spans 15 years.

As a musician, Kyri uses music to build classroom community. And he also uses his talent to benefit his community. In fact, every year on his birthday he provides a benefit concert for the Ronald McDonald House. Kyri describes himself as a gospel songwriter. He has written songs for many churches and gospel groups throughout the country.

And music is only one of this educator’s talents. Kyri has published a variety of books, including Lori Biscuit: The Musical Detective series; the Tales of the Still Quarters series; the Uncle Jabbo’s Stable series; and Demby’s Playful Parables. “As a teacher, I always tell stories to my kids,” Kyri once said. “One day I decided maybe I should write these stories down.”

For his work in the classroom, Kyri garnered a 2021 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education by the Kentucky Department of Education. Since 2004, the award has been given to a person or group within the state that displays outstanding leadership, commitment, and service promoting equity and opportunities. The criteria for winning the award include successful efforts to close socio-economic and/or racial achievement gaps and significantly improving learning, achievement, or other measured outcomes among students of color or economically disadvantaged students. The award is named for Samuel Robinson, a former educator who served on the Kentucky Board of Education from 1991 to 2004. Robinson was known as an advocate for racial and social justice and for promoting the concept that education can make a difference in the lives of all students.

Kyri earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Teacher Education from Bethune-Cookman University in 2001. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of South Florida in 2008.

FL STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: National Teacher Hall of Fame

Hearty congratulations are due to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Clermont, Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 Class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Caryn serves as a Specialist in Educational Technology Innovation and STEM integration at Montverde Academy in Clermont, Florida. Previously, she taught STEM subjects in public elementary schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, and STEM for all grade levels at NASA. Her career as an educator spans 34 years.

The honored educator says in her classroom she strives to achieve two goals: Students should love learning more than they did in previous years, and they should improve their overall attitude about learning. “I’ve often described my classroom as controlled chaos,” declares Caryn. “We dance to music allowing the kids ways to transfer complex science knowledge into long-term memory. They lean over tables and answer various levels of questions that scaffold on previous understanding,” she continues. “Providing diverse role models in the science fields is a crucial part of my kids’ education. Throughout the year, they speak to experts from NASA, NOAA, Boeing, and other agencies/businesses that can bring real world connections to the concepts they are developing,” she describes.

Caryn’s selection by the NTHF is not the only recognition she has earned. In 2021, she was named Montverde Academy Middle School Teacher of the Year. In 2019, she became a Space Educator Ambassador for the National Space Foundation, and the same year she was selected Florida’s Air Force Association STEM Teacher of the Year. In 2002, Caryn was honored as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, and in 2001, she was named the Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the NSTA. In 2000, she was named a Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellow.

Caryn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Queens University of Charlotte in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina in 1990. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational/Instructional Technology from Oklahoma State University in 2015.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 150 educators from 41 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more, click on this link to the NTHF.

Celebrating Charlotte Forten Grimke during Black History Month

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In celebration of Black History Month, here is a short video below I created which describes a remarkable Civil War-era teacher, Charlotte Forten Grimke. This intrepid teacher and Chalkboard Champion, born into a free Black family, went to the Deep South to teach emancipated slaves, even though the Civil War was raging all around her. Watch to learn more: