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.

Kentucky’s Shane Green garners prestigious Milken Educator Award

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Elementary school teacher Shane Baker of Bowling Green, Kentucky, haas garnered a prestigious 2023 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: Milken Educator Awards

There are many exceptional teachers working in our nation’s schools who are deserving of recognition. One of these is Shane Baker, an elementary school teacher from Bowling Green, Kansas. He has garnered a prestigious 2023 Milken Educator Award.

Shane teaches third grade at Jennings Creek Elementary School in Warren County. He has a reputation for creating a warm, welcoming place for students of all abilities, and at a school with a high rate of poverty and a significant number of students who do not speak English as a first language.

This teacher obviously enjoys working with his students from diverse backgrounds. “I get to come to work and I get to interact with kids who come from families from all over the world. It’s such a unique environment that you just can’t get in very many other places,” he declares. “It’s a wonderful feeling to see kids who come from different backgrounds or to see kids who look like me because I didn’t get that experience growing up,” he continues.

In addition, Shane serves as an EdTech Ambassador for his school district. In this role, he incorporates technology into his project-based learning curriculum, adjusting for each student’s unique needs throughout the school year. In fact, in his classroom Shane employs green screens for presentations, creates animated stories, utilizes coding to create 3D printer projects, and incorporates digital tools into multimedia discussions.

Shane earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Western Kentucky University in 2017. He is currently working on his Master’s degree in teacher leadership.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 3,000 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more about the program, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Colorado middle school teacher one of seven finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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Colorado middle school teacher Ivy Dalley was named one of seven finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Ivy Dalley

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today I shine the spotlight on Ivy Dalley, a middle school teacher from Mancos, Colorado. She was named one of seven finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Ivy teaches English and Social Studies to sixth graders at Mancos Middle School in the Mancos School District. The District serves a rural area in southwestern Colorado. She says sixth grade is the perfect age group for her. “We all know how awkward it can be at that time in our lives,” she explains. “I think I just really connect to middle schoolers and I connect to the way they think and learn,” she continues. “I want to show up every day and make sure they feel like someone cares about them and somebody’s on their team to help them realize the potential they all have inside of them,” she concludes.

This exceptional educator works hard to create positive educational change in her school. She has worked with students, staff, parents, and community members to develop and implement numerous district and community-wide programs, including the Buddies program, PBL carts, Positive Behavior Intervention Systems rewards, and a board member of Mancos United, an organization that arranges sixth-grade transition retreats. For these efforts, Ivy was named as one of seven finalists for Colorado’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

As a youngster, Ivy grew up in a small dairy town in Wisconsin. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College in Durango. She earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. She has worked in the Mancos School District for nine years.

NJ STEM teacher Christine Girtain named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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STEM educator Christine Girtain has been named the 2023 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: New Jersey Education Association

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Christine Girtain, an accomplished science teacher from Toms River, New Jersey.

Christine teaches STEM courses at Toms River High School North and Toms River High School South in Toms River. In fact, she is the Director of a three-year authentic science research course for high school students in grades 10 through 12. As the program’s director, Christine guides her students in projects covering such topics as the effects of fruit seed extracts on bacteria, bio-engineering E. coli , and studies on bees. “Through this program, our students and teachers will be doing amazing cutting-edge work, and potentially fundraising for our schools at the same time,” declares Christine.

This honored educator believes in offering opportunities for her students to expand their horizons globally. She has taken students to do research in Costa Rica with Seeds of Change, she has led them in a joint project with science students in Israel; and she has escorted them on educational tours in Europe.

“I love the bonds I build with my students, especially teaching the research class,” Christine says. “I am always trying to meet new people and learn new things that I can bring back to my students. The more I learn, the more I can help my students find fulfilling careers. After all, I love my job, and I want the same thing for my students,” she concludes.

In addition to her work with students in the classroom, Christine is a national presenter and advocate for increasing agricultural literacy, working with Nourish the Future, the National Corn Growers Association, the United Soybean Board, the Beef Checkoff, and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. And as if all that were not enough, she has brought in more than $185,000 in grant funds to fund student research projects and STEM camps.

Her selection as New Jersey Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Christine has received.  She was named the Genetics Educator of the Year by the National Association of Biology Teachers in 2022;  the Ocean County Teacher of the Year in 2022-2023; the Army Education Outreach Educator of the Year in 2021; and the New Jersey STEM Pathways Teacher of the Year in 2019. In 2021, she was selected as a state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Award (PAEMST).

Christina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Education from the College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey, in 1994. She earned her Master’s degree in Earth Science Instruction and Curriculum from Kean University in Union, New Jersey, in 2005. She completed her student teaching assignment in Lancaster, England. Her career as an educator spans 28 years.