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.

Jason Torres-Rangel named CA 2023 State Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Jason Torres-Rangel has been named the 2023 California State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Pomona College

It is always a pleasure for me to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for his work in the classroom. One of these is Jason Torres-Rangel, a high school English teacher from Los Angeles, California. He has been named his state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Jason teaches Advanced Placement (AP) English to juniors at Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. His career as an educator spans 19 years. In his classroom, Jason strives to create “curriculum that is student centered, culturally aware, (and) that tries to show minoritized voices in ways that challenge assumptions in society.”

The honored educator had excellent models to emulate when he chose to go into the teaching profession. Both his father and mother are math and computer science teachers who inspired him with their own dedication to creating science, technology, engineering, and math opportunities for East LA students.

Jason’s honors as California’s Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition he has earned. He was named the LAUSD and LA County Teacher of the Year in 2022. In 2020, he was recognized by the American Federation of Teachers for his work in the Community Schools Movement. In 2016, he was recognized by the White House for the Initiative Advancing Educational Equity for Hispanics. In 2015, he won the United Way Inspirational Teacher award, having been nominated by a student and her mother.

Jason earned his Bachelor’s degree in English from Pomona College. He earned a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University, and a second Master’s degree in English from California State University at Los Angeles. He is working on his PhD in Education from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont.

New York educator Alicia Wein earns 2024 Excellence Award

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High school English teacher Alicia Wein has earned the 2024 Excellence Award. Photo credit: University of Albany Alumni Association

I am always eager to share the story of an exemplary educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. Today, I shine the spotlight on Alicia Wein, a secondary English teacher from Albany, New York. She has earned a 2024 Excellence Award, the Bertha Brimmer Medal, from the University of Albany Alumni Association.

Alicia teaches Guilderland High School in Albany, where she has taught for the past 27 years. At her school, Alicia works to keep at-risk students in the classroom through the campus Focus Program.  She is the co-founder and advisor of the school’s Muslim Student Association, and the co-advisor of the school’s LGBTQ+ Alliance. In addition, she was the advisor of the students who founded the first chapter of the March for Our Lives movement in the Capital District.

In addition, since 2004, Alicia has been a part of her District’s Capital District Writing Project (CDWP), and she has served as CDWP co-director and co-facilitator of the Invitational Summer Institute. And she is also the lead English instructor for the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) program.

Alicia incorporates technology into her instructional program so effectively that her classroom is nearly paperless. Some of the tools she has used are Edmodo, Google Drive, Classroom Calendar, digital assignments and discussion groups, digital drafting, digital paper submission, and digital feedback and evaluation.

For this work, Alicia has earned a reputation as a superlative classroom teacher, an excellent collaborator with community partners, and a dedicated champion for all students. She is highly respected by her peers, who turn to her for advice and instruction in writing as a teacher-leader in her District.

The annual Excellence Awards recognize alumni of the University at Albany for their outstanding achievements and commitment to service. Alicia graduated from the university in 2003. To learn more about the Excellence Award, click on this link to www.alumni.albany.edu/awards.

Pennsylvania’s William G. Thompson: Teacher and coach at Carlisle

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Throughout our nation’s history, there are many examples of outstanding educators who have also served as athletic coaches. One of these was William G. Thompson, a 19th-century teacher and coach at Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Not much is known about this early teacher. We do know that he was born in 1866, and that as a young man he attended Yale University.

Following his college graduation, William accepted a position at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, first founded in 1879 by Colonel Richard Henry Pratt, an American United States Cavalry officer who served in the Civil War and then the Indian Wars. Pratt brought Native American children who had been taken from their families on their home reservations and transported to the Carlisle School for the purpose of assimilating them into mainstream society. In recent years, the practice has become extremely controversial.

At Carlisle, William was hired as a business teacher and as the executive director in charge of discipline. He served in this capacity for 15 years. In 1893, William also became the school’s first head football coach. That was the first year the school’s team was recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) The Carlisle Indians played only three games that season, but the neophyte coach led his boys to a 2-1 record. In the seasons that followed, the Indians consistently faced opposing teams comprised of larger players. They learned to rely on their speed and guile to remain competitive, and the Carlisle playbook gave rise to many trick plays and other innovations that are now commonly seen in American football games. For example, the overhand spiral throw and the hand-off fake were both innovations created by Carlisle players. To read more about this amazing team, click on the link Carlisle Indians Football. In addition to football, William Thompson coached baseball, track, and basketball for five years. From 1897 to 1907, William served as the school’s athletic director.

In 1907, William left Carlisle to teach business courses for the boys-only department of Reading High School, a public high school in Reading, Pennsylvania. He was employed there for three years. In 1940, this Chalkboard Champion passed away at the age of 74.

Georgia educator Venola Mason publishes instructional strategies

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Former classroom teacher Venola Mason’s book Teach Up! offers resources that demonstrate the importance of positive relationships between teachers and students and the value of high expectations. Photo credit: Venola Mason

Many excellent classroom teachers go on to share best practices to help students excel. Some of them even publish books offering proven strategies. One of these is Venola Mason, a former elementary school teacher who wrote the inspirational book Teach Up! Empowering Educators through Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance.

Venola’s book offers information and resources that demonstrate the importance of positive relationships between teachers and students, and the value of high academic expectations. The volume also explores issues related to social and emotional learning, the impact of childhood trauma, and the influence of the classroom environment. In addition, the book presents best practices and step-by-step procedures that can be used in any classroom, for any subject, and at any grade level to increase critical thinking skills through authentic learning experiences. Teach Up!  was published in 2021 and is available on amazon.

This remarkable educator has a wealth of experience to back up the strategies she presents in her book. She  taught fourth grade in Atlanta Public Schools for five years, between 2003 and 2005. She has also served as the Director of Alternative Certification in the Teach for America Program. Currently, she is an Associate Partner for the International Center for Leadership in Education. She has spent 12 years with the company.

“My love for learning blossomed as a small child playing ‘school’ with my older brother and younger sister in the East End of Louisville, Kentucky,” recalls Venola. “With limited opportunities in our community, my mom, determined to offer a better life to her children, moved our family to Los Angeles, California when I was eight years old,” she continues. “She worked hard as a certified nursing assistant caring for elderly patients. She didn’t make a lot of money or have any fancy degrees, but she taught me the importance of working hard, caring for others, and not being afraid to take chances in life,” the educator says. And it is these values that inspired Venola to inspire others to excel in their educational endeavors, too.

Venola earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, in 2001. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Technology from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, in 2009.