Bueno Dias to the teachers who educate the Earth
Who everyday inspire and express to those their worth
Like flowers from the seedlings you help us each to grow
Nurturing us with knowledge that you alone bestow.
—Kathleen J. Shields
Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Maryland teacher Mary Risteau was also an adept politician
Elementary school teacher Mary Risteau served in both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate. Photo: National Women’s History Museum
Many excellent educators have also served their communities in political positions. One of these is Mary Risteau, an elementary school teacher who was elected to both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate.
Mary was born April 24, 1890, in Towson, Maryland. As a young girl, she attended Towson High School, where she graduated in 1907. In 1912, she earned her undergraduate degree from Towson University, which at that time was known as Maryland State Normal School. She also completed an advanced course of study in mathematics at Johns Hopkins University in 1917. In 1938, Mary earned her LLB degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. In 1917, Mary Eliza launched her career as an elementary school teacher in Baltimore County.
Mary Eliza inaugurated her career in politics when she was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1921, just one year after the 19th Amendment granted women with the right to vote. There she represented Hartford County from 1922 through 1926, and again from 1931 through 1935, and yet again from 1951 through 1955, a total of four terms. While in the House, she successfully worked for the establishment of Maryland State Teachers College at Salisbury, and she was appointed to the State Board of Education, where she served for 16 years. She also served on the Committees on Education; Agriculture; Libraries; and Chesapeake Bay and its Tributaries.
Mary also served in the Maryland State Senate from 1935 through 1937. There she represented the 2nd District. While in the Maryland Senate, she became the Chairperson of both the Agriculture and Labor Committees, the Vice Chair of its Education Committee, and a member of the Senate Temperance Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Federal Relations Committee. In addition, she was a strong advocate for women’s rights. In fact, she was a member of both the National Order of Women Legislators and its state affiliate, the Maryland Women’s Legislation Group. Among many other organizations, she held membership in the League of Women Voters.
Sadly, Mary Eliza passed away in Jarretsville, Maryland, on July 24, 1978. She was 88 years old. In 1987, the former teacher was inducted posthumously into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame. Additionally, the Mary E. W. Risteau Multi-services Center in Bel Air, Maryland, was named in her honor.
To read more about Chalkboard Champion Mary Eliza Risteau, click on this link to Maryland’s Women’s Heritage Center.
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Educator Horatio Strother published volume about Underground Railroad
Educator Horatio Strother of Connecticut published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. Photo: Wesleyan University Press
Many excellent educators have also authored influential books. One of these was Horatio Strother, a history teacher who published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut.
Horatio was born on Feb. 1, 1930, in Harlem, New York. As a very young child, his family relocated to Middleton, Connecticut. There he attended Woodrow High School. In addition to his studies there, he excelled in athletics, including football and track and field. In fact, he he set a state record in the broad jump. In 1950, Horatio enlisted in the US Air Force and served four years of active duty in the Korean Conflict.
When his military service was completed, Horatio earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1956 and his Master’s degree in History in 1957, both from the University of Connecticut. During college, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National Horos Society of History.
Once he earned his degrees, Horatio taught briefly at Killingsworth Elementary School. In 1959, he transferred to Nathan Hale-Ray High School in Moodys section of East Haddam. There he taught history and served as the Chair of the Social Studies Department. Later, Horatio taught history at South Central Community College in New Haven, where he earned a promotion to Assistant Professor.
Horatio spent years conducting research and collecting oral history interviews related to the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. This research culminated in a scholarly work that was published by Wesleyan University Press in 1962. The volume, regarded as the definitive text on the Underground Railroad in Connecticut, is still in print and is held in the collections of nearly 2,000 libraries around the country.
Sadly, Horatio Strother drowned on Sept. 14, 1974, while swimming in Hidden Lake near his home. He was only 44 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to the Haddam Killingworth News.
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FL teacher Rebecca Hamilton inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame
Florida English teacher Rebecca Hamilton is one of only five educators nationwide who has been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Linked In
Congratulations to educator Rebecca Hamilton, an English teacher from West Palm Beach, Florida! She is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).
Rebecca earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Texas Lutheran University and her Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas, Pan American. She is an Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction, and she earned her PhD in Multicultural Education & Literature from Florida Atlantic University in 2014. In 2002, she completed the requirements for her National Board certification.
Rebecca’s career as an educator spans a total of 39 years. Currently she teaches English and AP Capstone Seminar and Research to juniors and seniors at Suncoast Community High School in Rivera Beach. During the 26 years she has been at that school, she has sponsored several clubs, including Hands across Campus, which hosts the Heritage Assembly each year, the Harry Potter Club, Guidance for Young Ladies, and Students for Gun Control.
Upon her induction in the NTHF, Rebecca offered this advice to fellow educators. “One: Find a good mentor,” she counsels. “Two: Get to know your students as humans and treat them like real people.” she continues. “And Three: Don’t be the ‘sage of the stage.’ It’s ok to say you don’t know something—look it up or have them look it up and learn together,” she concludes.
Her induction in the NTHF is not the only recognition Rebecca has earned. In 2020 she was selected to participate in MIT’s Teacher STEM Program. In 2014 she garnered the Teacher of the Year honors from Macy’s, and in 2017 she was selected to receive the prestigious Dwyer Award from Suncoast. In addition, Rebecca was chosen to be a presenter at the 2016 Association of Ubiquitous and Collaborative Educational International at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and in 2017 she presented at the Hispanic/Latino Studies Summer Institute. In 2018, she spoke at the African & African American Studies Summer Institute, and in 2022 Rebecca was a participant in the inaugural Teaching Hard History program.
The National Teachers Hall of Fame established a museum and recognition program in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor outstanding educators from all corners of the country. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.
