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.

NC teacher Leah Carper named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

English teacher Leah Carper has been named the 2023 North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

There are many exceptional educators in our country who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Leah Carper, an English teacher from North Carolina. She has been named as her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Leah Carper teaches at Northern Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. In her classroom, she designs curriculum that not only teaches the skills and standards of the course, but also teaches her students how to be empathetic, contributing members of a global community. “They’re students of humanity, and they’re learning how to be good people, and they’re learning that in our classrooms every day,” declares Leah.

Since her selection as North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year, Leah has shared stories about the many of the educators who influenced her. These teachers taught her about being accepting of new people or appreciating different cultures and countries. She even recalled a third grade teacher who bought her new shoelaces because she didn’t have any. These are things, she remarked, that cannot be measured on a standardized test.

In addition to her recognition as North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year, Leah garnered the title of 2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. She was also named the 2021 Guilford County Schools Teacher of the Year and the Guilford County Schools PTA Outstanding High School Educator Award in both 2020 and 2018. She was named the Guilford County Schools Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2007.

Leah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2006. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Queens University of Charlotte in 2017. Her career as an educator spans 18 years.

 

Author Terry Lee Marzell published in 2022 Inlandia anthology

Posted on by

Author Terry Lee Marzell has just had two short pieces published by the Inlandia Institute. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

Author Terry Lee Marzell has just had two of her pieces published by the Inlandia Institute. Her work has been included as one of 61 contributors whose writing has been published in the 2022 edition of Writing from Inlandia. This is the third year in a row that Terry’s work appears in an Inlandia anthology.

One of the pieces published in this year’s anthology is an amusing anecdote entitled “One Wild Ride.” The story describes her hair-raising experience riding an ATV in Mexico’s Sonoran Desert. The other piece is a poem entitled “The Pen.” To purchase the volume, click on this link to 2022 Writing from Inlandia on amazon.

Last year, Terry published two pieces, both autobiographical, in the 2021 volume. The first was a sentimental story about her childhood entitled “The Sewing Machine,” and the second was a humorous anecdote she calls “My Introduction to French Cuisine.” To purchase the volume with these pieces, click on 2021 Writing from Inlandia on amazon.

In 2020, Terry published a humorous account of a harrowing personal experience entitled “Flash Flood Casualties,” and an observational piece entitled “The Beauty in a Hundred Mundane Moments.” To purchase this volume, click on 2020 Writing from Inlandia on amazon.

The Inlandia Institute is a regional literary nonprofit and publishing house that serves the Inland Empire of Southern California. The organization offers free public literary and cultural programming, supports writing workshops for teenagers and adults, and provides in-school and after school enrichment programs for children and young people.

Hawaii’s SPEDucator Project: “You are exactly who our students need!”

Posted on by

Every dedicated, hardworking educator knows how difficult the job of teaching is, and sometimes we may feel like, no matter how hard we try to make a positive difference in the lives of our students, we are not good enough. This happens not only to many Special Education teachers, but to many regular education teachers, too. Well, here is a video created by the Hawaii’s SPEDucator Project especially for Special Education teachers that offers a message for every educator:  “You are exactly who our students need!” View the video below.

The is SPEDucator Project comprised of Special Education teachers working with the Hawaii State Department of Education. These teachers were selected by educational leaders for their passion, ingenuity, and excellence in the field of special education. Participants advocate for resources and training to better serve Special Education students, parents, and communities. Click on this link to learn more about the SPEDucator Project.

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

Posted on by

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.