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.

Considering gifts for Teacher Appreciation Day

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Teacher Appreciation Day is coming up in just a few weeks! It’s not too early to think about gifting your colleagues or your child’s teachers with a little something to show your appreciation for all their hard work in the classroom. When trying to decide just the right gift consider copies of my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. Each volume is packed with inspirational stories about remarkable educators in American history and the historical implications of their pioneering work.

Among the captivating stories in Chalkboard Champions is the story of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who volunteered to teach emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman, and educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who, together with her students, defied Jim Crow laws to integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for thousands of Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the East LA educator who proved to that inner city Latino youths could successfully meet the demands of a rigorous curriculum.

In Chalkboard Heroes, read about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa, all of whom put themselves at risk to fight for improved conditions for disenfranchised citizens. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican american War raged around her.

All these remarkable stories and more can be shared with someone you know this year on Teacher Appreciation Day!

Women’s History Month: Honoring pioneer schoolteachers

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In honor of Women’s History Month, we’d like to pay homage today to our country’s pioneer schoolteachers. America’s Wild West was tamed in part due to the talented and dedicated women who served as frontier schoolteachers.

The pioneering women who became teachers during this period of our nation’s history were indeed a special breed. At the turn of the century, females were expected to be dependent upon their husbands, fathers, or other male relatives. It was extremely unusual, and not at all encouraged, for a woman to support herself and function independently. Nevertheless, many intelligent and self-reliant women in search of personal freedom and adventure joined the Westward movement as schoolmarms.

The stereotype of a frontier schoolteacher was that of an unattractive spinster or a prim and proper young miss. In reality, she was often neither of those. Many of these ladies came from influential and affluent Eastern families. A few were filled with burning ambition, and others were seeking a better life, and perhaps some were seeking a husband of like mind. In general, though, they were dedicated practitioners of their profession. Despite primitive working conditions, uninviting classrooms, low wages, and overwork, these stalwart women introduced literacy, culture, and morality to the roughneck communities they served. A few of these teachers became missionaries, others became suffragettes, and one of them—Jeannette Rankin of Montana—even went on to become the first woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives!

Our society owes these frontier schoolmarms a great debt. Read more about pioneering teachers in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available through amazon.com or Amazon. Enjoy!

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators honors those who sacrificed their lives to protect students

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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.

AVID teacher Rosa Dockal mentors at-risk students

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Rosa Dockal, an AVID teacher in San Antonio, Texas, was just a child and couldn’t speak English when she came to this country as an immigrant. Now she teaches at-risk, first-generation students. Photo Credit: Open Sky Media Publications

I always enjoy sharing stories about inspirational educators from around the country. One of these is Rosa Dockal, a teacher from San Antonio, Texas. She was named one of her District’s Teachers of the Year in 2021.

Rosa currently teaches AVID courses at Travis Early College High School in the San Antonio Independent School District. Her career as an educator spans 25 years. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program provides extra support for low-income, minority students. The curriculum involves instruction in note-taking and study skills, tutoring, and mentoring. Most of the students who graduate from the program have earned a high school diploma plus an Associate’s degree and up to 60 college credits from San Antonio College. 

Rosa’s family immigrated to San Antonio from Mexico when she was a pre-schooler. “When I came from Mexico, I didn’t know English, so I knew the struggle of learning a different language. It’s not easy,” Rosa declares. But by the time she was in the fifth grade, she was at the top of her class, and she was placed in a magnet program.

Even though she was the first in her family to graduate from high school, Rosa declared her intent to go to college to become a teacher. “I didn’t know what a FAFSA was,” she admits. “My parents didn’t speak the language, so I had to do it by myself—but I didn’t do it by myself, because I had so many teachers and counselors who helped me,” she says. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if I would have gone,” she confesses.

Rosa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Texas, San Antonio. Once she landed her teaching position at Travis, she began to work with at-risk, first-generation students like herself. In addition to her AVID courses, she also teaches Spanish language classes.

For her exemplary work with young people, Rosa was named one of several teachers in her district as a Teacher of the Year in 2021.