Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Wyoming’s Jessica Carswell garners 2023 Outstanding Sp Ed Teacher Award
Elementary teacher Jessica Carswell of Wyoming has garnered a 2023 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award from the NASET. Photo credit: Jessica Carswell
Congratulations are due to Jessica Carswell, an elementary school teacher from Thermopolis, Wyoming. She has garnered a 2023 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award from the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET).
Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Early Childhood Education from the University of Wyoming. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Denver.
After earning her degrees, Jessica inaugurated teaching career in 2007. She has been teaching in inclusive Special education classrooms since 2010. Currently she teaches Kindergarten through second grade Special Education at Ralph Witters Elementary School, the school she attended when she was a child.
NASET is dedicated to ensuring that all children and adolescents with special needs receive the best education possible. NASET serves the professional interest of special education teachers in order to promote the highest professional standards. The organization is committed to standards of excellence and innovation in educational research, practice, and policy, and is dedicated to rendering support and assistance to those preparing for or teaching in the field of Special Education. To learn more about the organization, click on this link to their website: NASET.
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VA math teacher YuJeong Julia Shin garners special recognition
Virginia middle school mathematics teacher YuJeong Julia Shin has garnered the 2023 Region 5 Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher award from Fairfax County Public Schools. Photo credit: Fairfax County Public Schools
It is always my pleasure to call attention to exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today, I shine a spotlight on Mathematics Teacher YuJeong Julia Shin of Fairfax County Pubic Schools (FCPS) in Fairfax, Virginia. She has garnered recognition as the 2023 Region 5 Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher.
Julia teaches mathematics at Frost Middle School. She also co-advises who school’s MathCounts team, connecting with students who strive to become better collaborators and problem solvers.
The selection of Julia was announced at the annual FCPS Honors event held at George Mason University Center for the Arts this past June. The recognition is given to one elementary teacher and one secondary teacher within their first three years of teaching who demonstrate superior performance and instructional skills. The award celebrates excellence in achieving successful academic outcomes for their students.
Julia says she places special emphasis on demonstrating and practicing the school motto: Work hard, be nice, and widen your circle. She works diligently to connect with her students. Her goal is to develop strong relationships while dedicating herself to fostering a welcoming classroom community where every student feels safe to ponder, question, explore, make mistakes, learn, and grow. In addition, Julia constantly recognizes and celebrates her students’ achievements and successes, encouraging students to take pride in their learning experiences and reach their highest potential.
“Not only can Ms. Shin thoroughly teach me Algebra, in a way that is interesting and understandable, she also takes time to get to know me on a personal level,” says a student in the honored teacher’s class. Another student agrees. “I really enjoy being in Ms. Shin’s class. She explains difficult problems and breaks them down in such a way that makes them feel easy and I can always understand the content,” declared the student.
Julia is a graduate of the Secondary Education program offered at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. To read more about Julia Shin, click on this link to Frost Middle School.
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RI science teacher Amy Biagioni garners prestigious PAEMST
Science educator Amy Biagiioni of Rhode Island has garnered a prestigious PAEMST. Photo credit: Rhode Island State Department of Education
There are many excellent science educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Amy Biagioni, a science teacher from West Greenwich, Rhode Island. She has garnered a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching) from her state’s Department of Education.
The PAEMST recognizes the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.
Amy has been in the classroom since 2014. She currently teaches physics, chemistry, and engineering courses at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School in Rhode Island, where she has worked for the past 15 years. In her courses, Amy places special emphasis on wind energy, and leads her creative students in wind energy competitions each year. In fact, her teams were named Top Performers in the 2021 National KidWind Wind Turbine Challenge by the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce.
From 2012 through 2018, Amy worked as an instructor for the Spark Summer Inquiry Program at Brown University. There she developed and led inquiry-based activities for the advanced middle school summer science program. The activities covered topics related to the spread of disease and projectile motion.
Amy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics at the University of Rhode Island in 2004. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction and Assessment from Jones International University in 2007.
To learn more about Rhode Island’s state PAEMST program, click on this link: RI Dept. of Education.
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Sharon Stephen-Buitrago named the 2023 BABSE Broward County Science Teacher of the Year
Sharon Stephen-Buitrago has been named the Broward County Science Teacher of the Year for 2023 by the Broward Alliance of Black School Educators (BABSE). Photo credit: BABSE
Congratulations are due to elementary educator Sharon Stephen-Buitrago. She has been named the Broward County Science Teacher of the Year for 2023 by the Broward Alliance of Black School Educators (BABSE), a division of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE).
The NABSE is the nation’s foremost non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for American youth, especially children of African descent. Now in year 53 since its founding, NABSE boasts an outreach to more than 10,000 pre-eminent educators including teachers, administrators, and superintendents, as well as corporate and institutional members. Founded in 1970, NABSE is dedicated to improving both the educational experiences and accomplishments of African American youth through the development and use of instructional and motivational methods that increase levels of inspiration, attendance, and overall achievement.
So Sharon is in very good company, indeed. Currently, she serves as a teacher and science coach at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Montessori Academy School, a magnet school of Broward County Public Schools in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Previously she taught fifth grade at Pompano Beach Elementary School in Ft. Lauderdale, where she worked since Aug., 2008. Prior to that, she taught for ten years for Ascension Parish Schools in St. Amant, Louisiana.
Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1998 and her Master’s degree in Education in 2007, both from Southeastern Louisiana University. She earned a Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Florida Atlantic University.
To learn more about both BABSE and NABSE, click on this link to BABSE.
