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.

Ima Wells: Teacher and member of the NM House of Reps

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Ima Wells was a beloved teacher and a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Photo credit: Legacy.com

Many outstanding educators have also achieved acclaim in political arenas. One of these is Ima Wells, a teacher who was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives.

Ima Lee Greenwood was born on September 23, 1936, in Buffalo, Oklahoma. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NOSU). She earned her Master’s degree in Education from New Mexico State University.

While at NOSU, Ima met and married Del Wells. Once the pair graduated, Ima inaugurated her teaching career in a two-room schoolhouse in Kansas. Both she and her husband taught in southern Kansas for five years before moving to New Mexico in 1963. There Ima taught at Sandia Base in Albuquerque for ten years. She then moved to Loma Heights Elementary in Las Cruces, where she taught for 20 years.

During her lifetime, Ima worked tirelessly for her fellow educators. She served as President of the National Education Association (NEA) in New Mexico from 1987 to 1992. In the late 1990s, Ima moved to Rockford, Illinois, where she worked for NEA Illinois for five years. Then she returned to Las Cruces to work for NEA NM until she retired at the age of 72.

In 1993, Ima was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. She represented District 37 for one term.

This chalkboard politician passed away on August 10, 2014, in Loveland, Colorado. She was 77 years old. To read more about Ima, click on this link to her obituary published by the Las Cruces Sun News.

WI Special Education teacher Lisa Van Hefty earns state honors

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Special Education teacher Lisa Van Hefty of Mishicot, Wisconsin, is one of five educators who have been named a 2026 State Teacher the Year. Photo credit: O. H. Elementary School

Lisa Van Hefty, an elementary Special Education teacher from Michicot, Wisconsin, is one of five educators throughout her state who have been named a 2026 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year!

Lisa teaches at O. H. Elementary School in the School District of Mishicot. She has worked at the school for the entire length of her 27-year career. Throughout those years, Lisa has been a Chalkboard Champion for inclusive education and student advocacy, building strong, meaningful connections with her students, families, and colleagues. Among her co-workers, Lisa has earned a reputation for creating nurturing, student-centered learning environments that foster growth, independence, and confidence.

Lisa declares that her mission has always been simple: make every student feel valued. “Just include them. They are people just like us,” she asserts. “They want to be seen, they want to be heard, they want to be treated like everyone else. It’s our responsibility as citizens and community members to do that for them,” she continues.

Her colleagues say that Lisa goes to great lengths to provide a stable, encouraging learning environment for her students, ensuring they all receive appropriate and equitable lessons. She creates a sense of trust with the kids in her care and with their families to achieve educational goals that help them learn and thrive outside of the classroom. In addition, she mentors new teachers and helps them develop the necessary skills needed to become successful in their classrooms.

The Wisconsin Teacher of the Year awards are presented annually to five elementary, middle school, high school, and special services teachers who go above and beyond in their profession. The recognition comes with a $3,000 award.

Florida science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence recognized as “exceptional educator”

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Elementary science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence of Orlando, Florida, is one of 22 educators who have been recognized by Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” Photo credit: Orlando Family Magazine

There are many outstanding educators teaching in public classrooms in Florida public schools. One of them is Jacqueline Lawrence, an elementary school science teacher from Orlando. She is one of 22 educators who have been recognized in a 2025 article published in Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” In addition, she was a 2025 finalist for a Teacher of the Year Award in the Orange County Public Schools’ Stellar Awards program.

Jacqueline teaches fifth graders at Rock Lake Elementary School. Her career as an educator spans 12 years. In her classroom, Jacqueline is known for her innovative teaching practices, including using Kagan Mind Mapping strategies, and she has a reputation for designing engaging hands-on labs. And her students have really responded to her efforts. In fact, her instructional strategies are so successful that she has achieved a remarkable 67% pass rate on a state science assessment in a classroom full of students who previously were struggling.

“I learned from a tender age that education is the key,” Jacqueline says. “Once you get education it takes you anywhere. And that’s what I believe in, and I try to install that in my students,” she continues.

In addition to her work as a science teacher, Jacqueline founded the Rock Lake Girls Running Club, a campus debate team, and a dance group. She also launched her school’s first yearbook publication. Additionally, as a mentor and a team leader, Jacqueline actively supports her colleagues, going above and beyond to ensure their success.

To read more about Jacqueline Lawrence and other Florida educators who have received recognition by the Orlando Family Magazine, click on this link to the article Exceptional Educators.

National memorial honors fallen educators

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Memorial to Fallen Educators

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Throughout American history, many educators and others who work in schools have perished in the line of duty. All too often, the news is filled with stories about these Chalkboard Champions who have suffered from accidents, acts of violence, or from the global coronavirus pandemic. Some lost their lives while protecting students. All of them are heroes. To recognize their sacrifices, the National Teachers Hall of Fame has constructed a permanent memorial to honor their memory.

The memorial, named the Memorial to Fallen Educators, is located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The monument, originally inspired by the 2012 mass shooting at Sandyhook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was officially dedicated on June 12, 2014. On April 30, 2018, a bill sponsored by United States Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and Kansas Representative Roger Marshall was signed into law that designated the memorial a national monument.

The structure measures 10′ by 10′, and is composed of black granite. Surrounding the monument is a walkway, benches, illumination, and landscaping. To date, approximately 180 teachers, administrators, and other school personnel are honored on the monument. “Their lives were cut short through accidents or intentional violence simply because they chose the profession of education,” remarked Carol Strickland, former Executive Director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, which oversees the memorial. “They lost their lives doing what they love—working with America’s schoolchildren.”

The earliest educator honored on the memorial is Pennsylvania teacher Enoch Brown, and is dated 1763. The teacher and nine of his students were murdered during hostilities between Native Americans led by Chief Pontiac who attacked settlers for a bounty promised by then Pennsylvania Governor John Penn.

You can visit the monument in person at 12 West 18th Ave, Emporia, Kansas 66801. You can also check out the online version of the memorial, click on this link: National Memorial to Fallen Educators.