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.

MA science teacher Alexandria Sylvia earns MAST Award

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Chemistry teacher Alexandria Sylvia garnered a 2022 Dawn Sather Exemplary New Teacher Award from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers. Photo Credit: Brockton Public Schools

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Alexandria Sylvia, a science teacher from Massachusetts who has garnered a 2022 Dawn Sather Exemplary New Teacher Award from MAST (Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers). The New Teacher Award is given each year to teachers who have demonstrated remarkable achievement, accomplishment, and promise as science educators.

Alexandria teaches Chemistry at Brockton High School in Brockton, Massachusetts. She has done this for the past four years. Over the past two years, Alex has served as a member of her school’s Science Department Steering Committee. In addition, she coaches the field hockey team. Alexandria also teaches Earth Science in the school district’s evening and summer school programs, and she serves as a support teacher in the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Biotech Apprenticeship Program.

The honored educator is obviously well-regarded by her colleagues. “Alex is a wonderfully positive person and her enthusiasm for teaching science is infectious,” declares Dr. David Mangus, Chair of the Brockton High School Science Department. “The energy she brings to the classroom and the student-centered activities she designs, draw students in and trigger their innate curiosity,” he says.

Alexandria teaches in the same high school she attended as a teenager. She graduated from Brockton High School in 2014. Prior to teaching at Brockton, she inaugurated her career as an educator at the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

After graduating from high school, Alexandria completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at Stonehill College located in Easton, MA. While there, she worked as a research assistant. Her research focused on the M13mp bacteriophage vectors that infect E. coli cells. She also completed a one-week community service project sponsored by Stonehill College. She traveled to Tennessee with ten other people and worked to repair and repaint a woman’s home, improve landscaping, and worked in the food pantry at the volunteer house where they were staying.

Alexandria Sylvia: Truly an impressive young educator.

English teacher Amber Jirsa honored by Illinois State Board of Ed

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English teacher Amber Jirsa of Batavia, Illinois, has been honored as the state’s North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.  Photo credit: Glancer Magazine

It is always a pleasure for me to share the story of an exemplary educator. Today, the spotlight shines on Amber Jirsa, an English teacher from Bolingbrook,  Illinois. In Feb., 2023, Amber was honored as North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Amber earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois, in 2008. She earned her Master’s degree in Administrative Leadership from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, in 2011. She also completed the requirements for her certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University in 2021.

In 2008, Amber accepted a teaching position at Bolingbrook High School, where she taught for six years. In 2014, she relocated to Batavia High School, where serves as a Lead Instructor and teaches World Literature and American Literature.

“As an educator, my passion lies in creating inclusive and equitable learning environments where all students feel seen, heard, and valued,” Amber declares. “I have dedicated my career to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom and beyond, and am committed to supporting students’ social-emotional growth and well-being,” she continues.

To achieve this goal, Amberparticipates in her district’s Equity Committee and the Illinois Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Committee. And she is a facilitator for the National Education Association’s Leaders for Just Schools Cohort.

To read more about Chalkboard Champion Amber Jirsa, click on this link to an interview with her published by Batavia Public School District 101.

2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson earns congrats from First Lady Jill Biden

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The name of the 2023 National Teacher of the Year was announced last month, and her name is Rebecka Peterson! Congratulations, Rebecka! And we’re not the only ones to congratulate her. First Lady Jill Biden also sent the honored educator good wishes.

Rebecka teaches mathematics to sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has just completed her 14th year in education and her 11th at Union High School.

To learn more about Rebecka and see the message from the First Lady, view this eight-minute YouTube video of her April 19, 20223, appearance on CBS Mornings:

Sarah Lancaster named Minnesota’s first AAPI Teacher of the Year

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Elementary teacher Sarah Lancaster of Onamia, Minnesota, is the first educator of Asian Pacific Islander descent to be named her state’s 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Brainerd Dispatch

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on exemplary educators who have earned honors for their work with young people. Today, the spotlight falls on Sarah Lancaster, an elementary school teacher from Onamia, Minnesota. She was selected 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year for the state of Minnesota. Sarah is the first educator of Asian Pacific Islander descent to earn the honor.

Sarah teaches first graders in Onamia Public Schools District #480. Her career there spans ten years. This hardworking educator believes in the power of strong relationships and the importance of building connections with her students. Her teaching philosophy is student-centered, and emphasizes communication, consistency, and transparency. Teaching in a rural area has taught her the importance of culture and tradition, and recognizing a student’s individuality and identity. She makes every effort to connect not only with her students, but also with their families.

As a native-born resident of her home town, Sarah feels a strong sense of connection and dedication to her community. She seizes every opportunity to give back, including coaching over 20 seasons of athletics and arts programs, directing three of the annual high school musicals, and volunteering with local youth groups. She also serves as President of the Onamia Area Civic Association.

In addition, Sarah, who is half Filipino, has become more active in advocacy for an increase in persons of color in professions such as teaching. This representation can help more students overcome the things that are holding them back as students, she believes. “I can’t tell you the last time I saw a teacher of color as a speaker or panel member at a teacher conference,” Sarah says. She wants to change that.

Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Saint Cloud State University in 2013. In 2020, she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction and Design from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

NC PE teacher Jeanne Swanner Robertson also was a beauty pageant winner, public speaker, and author

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PE teacher Jeanne Swanner Robertson of North Carolina was also a beauty pageant winner, public speaker, and successful author. Photo credit: The Almanac News

Many accomplished educators exhibit talents in areas outside the field of teaching. One of these was Jeanne Swanner Robertson, physical education teacher from North Carolina who was also a beauty pageant winner, public speaker, and successful author.

Jeanne was born on Sept. 21, 1943, in Boston, Massachusetts. But she was raised in the small town of Graham, North Carolina. As a child, she was exceptionally tall. In fact, by the age of 13, she had already grown to a height of 6’2″. Athletically inclined, Jeanne used her height to become an accomplished basketball player. In addition to that sport, Jeanne was a member of the cheerleading squad and was elected her high school secretary.

In 1963, when she was 19 years old, Jeanne entered the Miss North Carolina contest, where she played the ukulele and performed a comedy sketch during the talent portion of the competition. She captured the state title and, for extra measure, was named Miss Congeniality. Jeanne moved on to the Miss America contest, where she once again garnered the Miss Congeniality Award. To this day, she holds the record as the tallest contest to enter the Miss America competition.

After her reign as Miss North Carolina, Jeanne used her scholarship winnings to pay for her college tuition at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. There she majored in physical education, played college basketball, and joined the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree in 1967. Once she completed her education, Jeanne accepted a position as a PE teacher in Durham, North Carolina.

After leaving the classroom, Jeanne launched a career as motivational speaker and humorist, traveling on speaking tours across the country where her wholesome brand of comedy became popular with audiences. She was also a frequent guest at the Grand Ole Opry. Over the years, Jeanne served as the National President and National Board Member for the National Speakers Association. The organization gave her many of their most prestigious awards, including the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), the CPAE (Council of Peers Award for Excellence), Master of Influence, Philanthropist of the Year, and the coveted Cavett Award. She also earned the Toastmaster Golden Gavel in 2010. She was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame in 1981.

As if all this were not enough, the former educator also authored four books. Humor: The Magic of Genie: Seven Potions for Developing a Sense of Humor (1989); Mayberry Humor Across the USA (1995); Don’t Let the funny Stuff Get Away (1998); and Don’t Bungee, Jump Naked, and Other Important Stuff (2020).

Although she had left the classroom many years before, Jeanne never lost her interest in supporting education. In her senior years, she and her husband Jerry both served on the Board of Trustees at Elon University. Jeanne involvement in this endeavor spanned a total of 18 years.

Sadly, Jeanne Swanner Robertson passed away on Aug. 21, 2021, in Burlington, North Carolina, following a short illness. She was 77 years old.