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.

Former teacher Rupa Ramadurai now works to improve education opportunities for all

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Former teacher Rupa Ramadurai now works as an attorney who works towards the improvement of educational opportunities for all students. Photo credit: Rupa Ramadurai

Many talented educators have used their experience in the classroom to go on to work towards the improvement of educational opportunities for all students. One of these is Rupa Ramadurai, a former high school teacher from Miami, Florida.

Rupa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2009. She earned her Master’s degree in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami in 2011. She earned her Juris Doctorate in Child and Family Law from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 2014.

Once she earned her Master’s degree, Rupa taught high school intensive reading in an inner city public school in Miami Dade County, Florida. She entered the teaching profession through Teach for America (TFA). “I didn’t know how exactly to combine my academic passion for reading and writing with my love for working with kids,” recalled Rupa. “I spoke to a TFA on-campus recruiter my senior year who shared how she had the ability to change a child’s trajectory through education, and it sold me on that being my calling,” she continued.

In addition to her work as a reading teacher, Rupa supported first-year teachers by serving as a Management Learning Team Leader and as a Backwards Planning Clinic Leader.

Once she earned her Juris Doctorate, Rupa spent five years practicing education law, and then she accepted a position at Chicago-based Community Leadership Corps, a non-profit organization that supports educators in pursuing varied pathways such as elected leadership, careers in policy and advocacy, and organizing. In this way, the former teacher endeavors to achieve educational equity for all.

Rupa says her work as a teacher has been invaluable to her success as a lawyer. “The classroom taught me how to think on my feet, and how to make sound judgment in the heat of a moment—from disciplining a student to changing the lesson plan to accommodate someone,” she declares. “This ability to be quick, flexible, and adaptable was an invaluable skill that serves me to be effective as an attorney.”

Old-time singing cowboy became a CA music teacher

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Many times talented entertainers find their way into classrooms, influencing impressionable young minds to pursue similar interests in the performing arts. One of these was Ernest “Skeeter” Hubbert, a singing cowboy who became a popular music educator in Riverside, California.

Ernest was born on July 10, 1924, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was musically gifted as a child, and when he grew up, he studied at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and the Sorbonne in France. Eventually he enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he earned his Master’s degree in Music.

In the mid-1930s, Ernest landed a position in the band of Stuart Hamblen, and he also played rhythm guitar and trumpet on commercial recordings with Texas Jim Lewis. When WWII erupted, Ernest formed his own group of Western musicians which he dubbed Skeeter Hubert and his Cowboys. The Standard Transcriptions Company created approximately 40 recording with this group. These recording received widespread national airplay, earning Ernest a reputation for being the most popular singing cowboy on the air. In addition to performances as a musician, he also worked as an extra in many Western movies.

After the war was won, Ernest earned a living teaching music and directing choral groups in the Los Angeles area. Eventually he relocated to the city of Riverside, located in Southern California’s Inland Empire. There he accepted positions as a music teacher, first at Chemawa Junior High School, and then at Matthew Gage Junior High School. Next he taught music at Alcott Elementary School for two years before returning to Gage. He also directed civic choral groups in the area. Eventually, the former singing cowboy retired from the teaching profession.

Ernest passed away on Oct. 12, 1989. He was 75 years old. But the impact he made on young student musicians lives on to this day. To read more about Ernest “Skeeter” Hubbert, click on this link to an article written about him from his former student, Steve Lech, published on Dec. 18, 2022, in the Press Enterprise.

TN educator Alexa Guynes earns Milken Educator Award

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Fifth grade teacher Alexa Guynes of Germantown, Tennessee, has earned a prestigious 2022 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: Milken Educator Awards

It is always a pleasure to share stories about innovative educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Alexa Guynes, an elementary school teacher from Tennessee who has earned a prestigious 2022 Milken Educator Award.

Alexa teaches fifth grade at Dogwood Elementary in the Germantown Municipal School District. She has a reputation for designing lessons that are immersive. For example, her students wear goggles and lab coats for Mad Scientist Day; a lesson about Jackie Robinson ends with uniformed students going out on the school field to play a baseball game; and March Madness becomes a literary March Madness, including a reading tournament where students vote on their selections for the best book. In fact, her class begins each day with a book, usually a picture book, related to the topic the students are learning about that day. Many of Alexa’s students declare that this “Book a Day” tradition is their favorite part of class.

In addition to working with her young students, Alexa serves as the Chair for her school’s fifth grade team, and she is the English/Language Arts (ELA) content lead for third, fourth, and fifth grades. She helped her school implement its new ELA curriculum, enhancing lessons with imaginative strategies and activities designed to promote interaction. Alexa also mentors student teachers and has served on Dogwood’s school leadership, professional development, and ELA textbook selection committees.

Alexa was born and raised in Germantown. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Elementary Education in 2021, both from Mississippi State University.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

To read more about Alexa Guynes, click on this link to Germantown Municipal School District.

Benjamin Santiago garners Guam’s 2021 Teacher of the Year honors

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Dr. Benjamin Santiago has ben named the 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year for the American territory of Guam. Photo credit: PNC

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work. One of these is Benjamin Santiago, a journalism and cultural dance teacher in the American territory of Guam. He has been named the island’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.

Benjamin teaches journalism and cultural dance at Agueda I. Johnston Middle School in Guam. In addition to teaching cultural dance, he also serves as his school’s Native Dance Squad Director and works with the choir.  He is also currently working on his latest fitness program for students with autism. In addition to his work in the classroom, Benjamin serves as his school’s advisor for the National Junior Honor Society and the Mock Trial advisor. He also works as his school’s curriculum coordinator, a Teacher Administrator Effectiveness (TEF) mentor, and the coordinator of the accreditation self-study. He is part of committees that develop curriculum instruction, sheltered instruction observation protocol, and standards-based grading. And as if all this were not enough, he has represented his school at conferences for the International Society for Technology Education and the Summit of Innovative Teaching Strategies.

As the Director of the Native Dance Academy for the past 25 years, Benjamin has promoted the perpetuation of indigenous culture through the performing arts. As a native culture advocate, he has made appearances in the Mariana Islands and elsewhere throughout Asia, as well as in the United States and Russia. He captured international trophies in Hawai’i for the quality of his performance in both ancient and modern hula. In fact, he earned the title of Kumu Hula, from the world-renowned hula master George Lanakilakeikiahiali’i Na’ope in the art of hula.

And even all this is not everything Benjamin has accomplished. He is a small businessman, having opened his own fitness studio in 2021. There he promotes an active lifestyle as a certified teacher of Zumba, Body Combat, Body Pump, CXWorkx, Grit, and Mixxedfit. In fact, he is the program developer for the national fitness program known as Mixxedfit. For this effort, Benjamin won the 2013 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Male Fitness Instructor in 2013.

“What’s inspiring about Dr. B,” declares Jon Fernandez, the Guam Department of Education Superintendent, “is that his passion does not end in the classroom. He continues to perpetuate our cultural practices in community events and brings these lessons back into the classroom to help our kids develop into young citizens. When we talk about legacies, that is what we are talking about – lessons and skills that go above and beyond the classroom.”

Benjamin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, Language Arts, his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. His career as a professional educator has spanned 25 years.

To read more about Dr. Benjamin Santiago, click on this link to a story about him published by PNC.