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.

Acclaimed author William H. Armstrong was also a distinguished educator

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Distinguished educator William H. Armstrong earned acclaim as an author of novels for young adults, including the novel Sounder, and numerous study guides and self-help books. Photo credit: Godine Publishing

Many teachers are familiar with the classic young adult novel Sounder, and William H. Armstrong, the author of this long-time favorite. But did you know that he also had a long and distinguished career as a teacher?

William was born on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley in Lexington, Virginia, on Sept. 14, 1911. He had a difficult time in school as a youngster, since he was small for his age, wore glasses, stuttered, and suffered from asthma. As a teenager, he attended Augusta Military Academy in Fort Defiance, Virginia. After his high school graduation in 1932, William enrolled at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he wrote for the school newspaper and edited the literary magazine. He graduated cum laude in 1936, and then completed graduate courses at the University of Virginia.

Once his education was complete, William moved to Kent, Connecticut, where he established himself as a farmer, carpenter, and stonemason. In 1945 he accepted a position as a teacher at the prestigious Kent School, a private, co-ed, college prep boarding school. There he taught courses in the classics, ancient history, and general studies to high school freshmen. His career as an educator spanned 52 years.

William inaugurated his career as an author in 1956 when he published his first study guides. In the years that followed, he published numerous self-help books for students. His books were so highly regarded, that in 1963 he garnered the National School Bell Award from the National Association of School Administrators for his distinguished service in the interpretation of education. In 1986, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College.

In 1969, William published his first young adult novel, Sounder, a story about an African-American family of sharecroppers. Praised by critics, Sounder won the John Newberry Medal and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1970, and was adapted into a major motion picture in 1972 starring Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield. Over the course of his writing career, he published 14 more novels for adult and young adult audiences.

Sadly, William Armstrong passed away on April 11, 1999, at his home in Kent. He was 87 years old.

Alabama’s Anita Gibson elected President of NEA Retired

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Retired Alabama school teacher Anita Gibson has been elected to serve as the President of the retired teacher division of the National Education Association (NEA). Photo credit: NEA

There are many retired educators who go from the classrom to positions where they lead their colleagues in positions of influence. One of these is Anita Gibson, a retired elementary school teacher from Alabama who has just been elected the President of the retired teachers division of the National Education Association (NEA).

In this position, Anita continues to earn the respect and trust of her fellow educators. Her career features many notable assignments. For example, as an active classroom teacher in DeKalb, Alabama, she was selected to manage a new work force program for non-English speaking high school students. She also wrote a grant for a program to help Native American students better explore their heritage. “It all gave me a broader perceptive about how every single day might be the ay something important happens for a student,” she says. “Everyone deserves access to the opportunities.”

For many years, Anita has been active in teachers’ unions. She served as President of the local DeKalb County Education Association, where she worked to help fellow educators struggling with classroom management or oversized classrooms. Later she served as the President of the Alabama Education Association. After several terms on the Board of the National Education Association (NEA), she was elected the President of retired teachers division on Sept. 1, 2023.

Today, her daughter teaches in the same school that Anita did, and her grandchildren are enrolled in the school. “I’m concerned about the environment my daughter goes into every day,” Anita confesses. “I want her and all educators to feel safe and valued,” she continues. “I want my grandchildren and their classmates to be successful and productive citizens, and I want educators to be able to retire with dignity. I know we can make strides toward those goals,” she concludes.

Studies show school library programs are extremely valuable

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Most educators would agree that school library programs are extremely valuable to students. But did you know that, according to studies, strong school libraries help to increase standardized test scores? Statistics show that public schools with strong school library programs outperform those without such programs on high-stakes standardized tests. This is true regardless of parent education, poverty levels, ethnicity, or the percentage of English language learners found in the population of the school. Increases in library program elements correspond to standardized test scores at all grade levels, including elementary, middle school, and high school.

Library elements that contribute to increased test scores include the total number of hours the library is open, the total amount of technology available in the library, the total services provided by trained library staff, the presence of a program of curriculum-integrated information with literacy instruction, the informal instruction of students in the use of resources, providing teachers with information about new resources, and providing reference assistance to both teachers and students.

A strong school library program is described as one that provides a full-time teacher/librarian, a full-time paraprofessional, a robust and up-to-date collection of digital, print, and media resources with a budget to support it, and abundant access to the library’s facilities, technology, and resources. How well does your school’s library program meet the criteria?

To learn more, read the report, Remodeling Literacy Learning: Making Room for What Works, which details key findings from a nationwide survey of more than 2,400 educators representing all grade levels and subject areas. The report investigates the connection between professional learning, educator collaboration, and student learning.

Industrial schools educated abandoned and orphaned children

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Ohio Reform Farm, also known as Boys Industrial School, established in 1857.  (Photo credit: Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff historical Society)

Many times while I am reading biographies about remarkable teachers or conducting other research, I come across a description of a type of school that I am unfamiliar with. I always enjoy learning about various types of schools, and I am eager to share my newly-acquired knowledge with others.

One school I have been reading about is the industrial school. An industrial school was an institution commonly established around the turn of the twentieth century. Although these schools were popular way back in history, they are not unheard of today.
An industrial school is a boarding school that provided for the children’s basic needs for housing, food, and medical care. Often these schools were established to provide a means for caring for children who had been orphaned, neglected, or abandoned. Sometimes these institutions provided for those youngsters who were deemed incorrigible.
Today, these children are typically cared for through adoption or placement in foster homes, and they are educated in regular public schools. But in the past century, industrial schools served a valuable service for these needy kids.
In the industrial school, students were taught vocational skills that would allow them to seek gainful employment once they came of age. Girls typically received training in the domestic arts or needle trades, and boys were taught vocational skills such as carpentry, shoe-making, or box-making. In addition, the young people were taught fundamental literacy skills in such subjects as reading, writing, and mathematics.
You can read more about various industrial schools in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available from amazon.