Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
The Wild West tamed by frontier schoolmarms
The American Wild West was tamed, in part, due to the talented and dedicated women who served diligently as frontier schoolteachers. These pioneering women who became teachers during this period of our nation’s history were indeed a special breed.
At the turn of the 19th century, women were expected to be completely dependent upon their husbands, fathers, or other male relatives. It was extremely unusual, and not at all encouraged, for a woman to support herself and function independently. Nevertheless, many intelligent and self-reliant women in search of personal freedom and adventure joined the Westward movement as schoolmarms.
The stereotype of a frontier schoolteacher was that of an unattractive spinster or a prim and proper young miss. In reality, she was often neither of those. Many of these ladies came from influential and affluent Eastern families. A few of them were filled with burning ambition, and others were seeking a better life, and perhaps some were seeking a husband of like ambition. In general, though, these intrepid women were dedicated practitioners of their profession. Despite primitive working conditions, uninviting classrooms, low wages, and overwork, these stalwart women introduced literacy, culture, and morality to the roughneck communities they served. A few of these teachers became missionaries, others became suffragettes, and one of them—Jeannette Rankin of Montana—even went on to become the first woman to be elected to represent her state in the United States House of Representatives!
Our society owes these heroic frontier schoolmarms a great debt. Read more about pioneer teachers in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available through amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Click on the link to find out how to get a copy of the book. Enjoy!
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Celebrating Women’s History Month
Throughout the month of March, teachers all over the country will be celebrating Women’s History Month with their students. The annual observance features women’s contributions to history, culture, and society, and has been celebrated in the United States since 1987. Here’s a list of some resources and materials teachers might want to examine for inclusion in their Women’s History Month lessons.
The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) provides many resources for Women’s History Month, such as articles, online exhibits, virtual field trips, and classroom resources. You can also find information about women history makers and biographies at this site.
Have a look at the teaching resources available at Scholastic.com. On this site teachers can find women’s history month articles, book lists, lesson plans, and online activities for grades K-12.
Some of the resources available at www.history.com include background information on the annual observance, and photo galleries of important women figures in history, divided into such categories as women in politics, sports, the arts, and science, There is also a dandy timeline of milestones in women’s history, a list of famous firsts in women’s history, information about women’s suffrage, and more.
Take a look at the website www.womenshistory.gov, which is currently offering online exhibitions about women’s suffrage, Rosa Parks, Native American women artists, and more. The website is supported by the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Still need more? Here’s a list of additional resources compiled by Edutopia, an offshoot of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Includes links to websites that offer lesson plans, printables, digital exhibits, primary sources, and STEM materials.
Enjoy!
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Civil Rights activist Septima Poinsette Clark: “The Mother of the Movement”
Teacher Septima Poinsette Clark was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. In fact, she was often called “The Mother of the Movement.” Photo Credit: Bob Fitch photography archive, © Stanford University Libraries
Septima Poinsette Clark was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Martin Luther King, Jr., often called her “The Mother of the Movement.” In fact, this remarkable educator earned the Martin Luther King, Jr., Award in 1970, the Living Legacy Award in 1979, and the Drum Major for Justice Award in 1987.
Septima was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 3, 1898. Her father was born a slave, and her mother, although born in Charleston, was raised in Haiti and never experienced slavery. After Septima graduated from high school in 1916, she didn’t have the money to finance her college education. Nevertheless, she landed a position as an elementary teacher in a school for African American Gullah children on John’s Island in South Carolina’s Sea Islands. By 1919, Septima returned to Charleston to teach sixth grade at Avery Normal Institute, a private academy for Black children. Before long, Septima became involved with Charleston’s NAACP, which inaugurated her involvement in Civil Rights activities. In the 1940s, Septima was finally able to return to school, taking summer school courses to earn her college degree. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Benedict College and her Master’s from Hampton University.
In the 1950s Septima found herself working at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee. She was instrumental in fighting against Jim Crow laws by organizing citizenship schools to teach underprivileged African Americans basic literacy skills, voter registration techniques, and the history of the Movement. At Highlander, Septima served as the director of workshops, trained teachers, and recruited students.One of the participants in her workshops was Rosa Parks. Shortly after participating in the Highlander workshops, Rosa helped launch the now-famous Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Septima Clark passed away on John’s Island on December 15, 1987, of natural causes. This talented and dedicated teacher was 89 years old.
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Music educator Andrew Arnold of Utah garners recognition
Many excellent educators overcome personal adversity in order to improve the lives of their students. One of these is Andrew Arnold, a music educator at Shoreline Junior High School in Layton, Utah. He has garnered a 2023 UEA/Clark and Christina Ivory Foundation Excellence in Teaching award.
Andrew has overcome a great deal of personal adversity in order to be in the classroom. In fact, he overcame a spinal cord injury that initially left him unable to walk. Today, he depends on his grit and perseverance to inspire students in a thriving band program at Shoreline Junior High School in the Davis School District. He actively supports his students, ensuring they all have access to instruments, regardless of their financial circumstances.
For his work with young people, Andrew was one of ten educators recognized with a 2023 UEA/Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation Excellence in Teaching award during the KeyBank Superstars in Education banquet. Award recipients were selected for their impact on individual students or groups of students. Each winner received a crystal trophy and a check for $1,500, from the award sponsor, the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation.
To learn more about Andrew Arnold, view the three-minute YouTube video below:
