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.

Celebrate Chalkboard Champions who are also veterans!

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When celebrating our nation’s veterans today, I like to remember that many of them are also Chalkboard Champions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 2% of teachers in our nation’s classrooms are military veterans.

The call to service is something that many service members don’t lose once they are discharged. That’s one of the reasons that so many veterans gravitate towards the teaching professions once their military service is complete.

Military veterans have many personality traits that make them particularly suited for a career in teaching. When entering the profession, veterans are typically older and have had more varied life experiences. In addition, veterans can bring a wealth of leadership qualities to the classroom. An understanding of the importance of discipline, an appreciation of the value of education, the ability to adapt, and the capacity to work well, even highly stressful circumstances, are some of the qualities that veterans can bring to the classroom. Also, often veterans possess the ability to persevere, which is a trait that is especially needed in a profession that has a high turnover rate.

Another valuable characteristic that many veterans possess is their potential to connect with students from ethnically diverse neighborhoods or lower-economic backgrounds, because many veterans themselves come from such circumstances. They understand from firsthand experience how challenging some school environments can be, and therefore may be more invested in helping to make a difference in such school systems. Furthermore, veterans have been especially trained to accomplish tasks collaboratively.

For these reasons, and many more, veterans are invaluable as Chalkboard Champions. So, today and every day, let’s celebrate our nation’s teachers who are also veterans!

 

Teacher Thom Gibson: Here’s a strategy for a class that goes off the rails

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A new school year is nearly upon us, and many teachers, both new and returning, are considering ways they can get off on the right foot with their students. We all realize there will be a honeymoon period at the beginning of the year. But how long will it last? We all want to know how we can prevent a class from going out of control, or bring them back into line if they go off the rails. Here is an eight-minute video created by fellow educator Thom Gibson that offers a strategy. He was working with middle schoolers, but the technique might be useful with younger or older students. I’m so impressed,  I’m going to call Thom a “guru” of classroom management. Check it out.

Daphne Fulson named Virginia’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Daphne Fulson named Virginia’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Coastal Virginia Mag

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Daphne Fulson, an elementary school teacher from Virginia who has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Daphne teaches bilingual second-grade at Portlock Primary School in Chesapeake, Virginia. In a career that has spanned 12 years, she has spent the last six of them in Chesapeake. Daphne genuinely enjoys her work with young people. “Teaching brings beauty and joy to the world,” she asserts. And she has a wonderful reputation among her colleagues. Leslie Russell, Principal of Portlock Primary School, describes Da[hne as a “caring, inspiring, and compassionate educator who has a natural gift for touching the lives of her students.”

In addition to teaching at Portlock, Daphne has worked as an  instructor of English as a Foreign Language at Via Lingua in Peru.  And every summer, Daphne works as a facilitator of content and pedagogy for Teach For America. In this role, her priority is to facilitate an environment where culturally responsive practices are used to deliver anti-racist, high rigor, instruction that promotes moral values, self-confidence, and self-esteem in students, guiding them to collaborate, communicate, think critically, and act independently as productive, problem-solving citizens of society.

In 2013, Daphne earned her Bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University (ODU) with a double major in communications and Spanish Education, and a double minor in Social Welfare and English. In 2022, she earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in administration and supervision, also from ODU. In addition, Daphne has completed courses at La Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica, where she served as an international global ambassador.

In addition to her recognition as Virginia’s Teacher of the Year, Daphne has earned many other honors. She garnered the Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fellowship for the Rio Grande Valley Texas region in 2015, and the Good to Transformational Teaching Fellowship in McAllen, Texas, in 2017. She was also named the recipient of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award in 2017.

Teachers, it’s Election Day! Be sure to vote!

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Today is Election Day! Elections are the one thing that separates a democracy from a dictatorship. Elections give people the right to control who their leaders, remove them from office without the need for a revolution, and make decisions that affect society as a whole. Voting on election day is a great way to show our appreciation for these rights. Teachers know that elections are important for democracy. Without the election process, our democracy could not function.

As citizens, we should continuously strive to make our society better. We face many issues, and the only way we are able to fix them is to work for positive change. Voting is the best way to work for the changes we want to see occur. So, casting your ballot today will help to ensure a better future.

Voting is a privilege, but more than that, voting is a responsibility and a duty. To ensure the protection of our rights, we need to stay informed on the candidates and the issues, and then vote!

Every vote matters. Encourage others to vote too. Start with your friends, family members, co-workers, or colleagues, explaining to them the importance of voting and why every vote matters. If your students are of voting age, you can encourage them to cast their ballots. Teach them how to register, but, of course, we all know that we must be careful not to influence them in their choices of candidates or issues. No matter what age your students are, show them a good example. Let them know that you consider voting a civic responsibility, and that you will be voting today!

Finally, remember that living in a democracy does mean we always get our WAY, it means we always get our SAY. If the outcome of the elections is disappointing to you, accept the results for now, and know that you will have another opportunity to make the changes you would like to see in the next election.

Happy voting!

Teacher Anne Burnes McDonald also served in the Connecticut State House of Reps

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Former sixth grade teacher Anne Byrnes McDonald served in the Connecticut State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Boston.com News

Many fine classroom teachers are also distinguished politicians. One of these is Anne Byrnes McDonald, an elementary school teacher from Connecticut who also served her community in the State House of Representatives.

Anne was born in 1933 in Syracuse, New York. As a young woman, she attended Le Moyne College, a private Jesuit college located in DeWitt, New York. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Later she earned her Master’s degree in Education from Syracuse University.

Once she earned her degrees, Anne accepted a position teaching sixth grade, first in Syracuse and then in Ardsley, New York. In addition to teaching children in public schools, she instructed adult learners who were learning English as a second language. After she relocated with her family to Stamford, Connecticut, Anne was elected to the Stamford Board of Education, where she served from 1979 to 1986.

Anne inaugurated her career as a politician in 1990, when she was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Connecticut House of Representatives. There she represented District 145 from 1990 to 2003. In addition to representing the Cove, Glenbrook, and East Side of Stamford in the General Assembly, the former educator also served as the House Chairman of the Public Health Committee and the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee.

Throughout her life, Anne volunteered for a number of local and statewide organizations. She served eight years on the City of Stamford Commission on Aging; three years on the Connecticut Advisory Board on Aging; four years on the Stamford Housing Authority; and four years on the Housing Development Fund Board. She also served four years on the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

In 2003, Anne was forced to resign from her position in the State House and withdraw from her philanthropic positions because of failing health. Sadly, she succumbed to cancer on Oct. 3, 2007. She was 74 years old.