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.

Delaware’s Brandi Luloff has garnered prestigious PAEMST award

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Elementary school math teacher Brandi Luloff of Delaware has garnered a 2022 PAEMST award. Photo Credit: paemst.org

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Brandi Luloff, an elementary teacher from Delaware who has garnered a  2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). This prestigious award honors the dedication, hard work, and important role that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers.

In a career that has spanned 17 years, Brandi has spent the last six of them at Townsend Elementary School in Townsend, Delaware. She spent the previous six years teaching at Maclary Elementary and Gallaher Elementary Schools in the Christina School District. Prior to that, she taught kindergarten for five years at Bright Horizons Family Solutions.

In her classroom, Brandi uses problem-based learning and she designs curriculum that engages her students in real-world scenarios.

Brandi’s passion for teaching and mathematics goes beyond her classroom walls. She serves her school as a full-time Instructional Coach, a role in which she works closely with classroom teachers to support student learning across the curriculum. Also, she represents her school as the District Math Content Chair Representative and on the Math Task Leadership team. In addition, Brandi collaborates with the District Leadership Team to organize and facilitate curriculum events for families and staff. And she conducts Professional Learning Community meetings and District professional development programs.

In addition to her PAEMST honors, Brandi was named her District’s Teacher of the Year in 2018.

Brandi earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in Elementary/Special Education from Wilmington University. She is currently attending Wilmington University to earn a Master’s degree in School Leadership and Administration.

To learn more about Brandi Luloff, see this article published in the Appoquinimink District News.

 

Oregon educator Betsy Close served as a state legislator

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Many educators have committed themselves to work in politics. One is Betsy Close, a public school teacher who has served in both the Oregon State House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate. Photo Credit: Ballotpedia

Many classroom teachers have also committed themselves to work in politics. This is true of Betsy Close, a public school teacher who has served in both the Oregon State House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate.

Betsy was born on May 4, 1950. Her mother was a physical education teacher and coach, and her father was a teacher, coach, principal, and assistant superintendent.

As a young woman, Betsy earned Bachelor’s degrees from both Washington State University in 1972 and Central Washington University in 1974. She earned her Master’s degree from Oregon State University in 1978. Once she earned her degrees, Betsy taught in public schools in Washington state and in Albany, Oregon.

In 1999, Betsy was elected on the Republican ticket to the Oregon State House of Representatives. She served there until 2004. In 2012, she served in the Oregon State Senate, representing District 8. She served there until 2015. During her time as a legislator, Betsy served on a number of committees. One of the them was the Committee for Education. To address the need for increased quality and accessibility in Oregon, Betsy championed more classroom teachers, lower class sizes, a longer school year, and adding back instructional minutes after years of cut-backs. In the Senate, Betsy also served on two other committees: Public Safety and Jobs and Economy.

In addition to her work as an educator and a legislator, Betsy volunteered as a counselor for the Corvallis Pregnancy Care Center and Habitat for Humanity House. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Palestine Rural Fire Board.

For her work as a public servant, Betsy has earned many accolades. She was inducted into the Farm Bureau Hall of Honor in 2003. In addition, she garnered State Official of the Year in 2003 by the National Association of Homebuilders; Friend of the Taxpayer Award by Citizens For A Sound Economy in 2002; the Legislator Recognition Award for Outstanding Service to Oregon’s Special Districts in 2001; and the President’s Award from the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Association in 2001.

Chicago teacher Dwayne Reed greets kindergartners with a song

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While watching Today on television this morning commentators were doing a story on Dwayne Reed, an amazing teacher from Chicago, Illinois. He has written a “Welcome to Kindergarten Song” to share with students as they enter their classroom on their first day. I found the video on You Tube, and just had to share it with you, so here it is! And just in case you would like to read more about him, check out this link to a story about him on his website, Teach Mr. Reed.

 

Jessica Saum named 2022 Arkansas State Teacher of the Year

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Special Education teacher Jessica Saum of Arkansas has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Cabot Public Schools

It is always wonderful when a deserving educator is honored for their work in the classroom. Today, I’ll share the story of one such educator: Jessica Saum of Little Rock, Arkansas. She has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Jessica teaches special education to kindergarteners through fourth graders in a self-contained classroom at Stagecoach Elementary School in Cabot, Arkansas. Before her employment at Cabot Public Schools, Jessica taught for one year at Jacksonville North Pulaski School District.

The honored educator confesses that serving as a special needs teacher is her passion. “Every child deserves what’s best,” she declares. “Every child deserves an opportunity to succeed, and every child deserves for us to expect them to do great things,” she continues. In her classroom, Jessica delivers a curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning, inclusion, and community involvement.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jessica leads professional development workshops that promote exposure to grade-level curriculum and meaningful relationships with experienced educators.

Also, Jessica is nationally published, and her work extends to supporting military families, detailing how educators can support these families during deployments and difficult transitions.

As if all that were not enough, Jessica serves as the advisor for the Kiwanis Kids Club, an organization that organizes student participation in service projects. She volunteers as a Key Spouse at the Little Rock Air Force Base and is the 2020 314th Airlift Wing Key Spouse of the Year. She is a Fellow of both the Arkansas State Teacher Association Senior Advocacy and the Association of American Educators Advocacy. As if all that were not enough,, Jessica is a member of the United through Reading Literacy Advisory Council and a Special Advisor to the Arkansas Council for Military Children.

Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education in 2011 and her Master’s degree in Grades 4-12 Special Education in 2016, both from Arkansas State University. In December 2020, she completed the requirements for her Special Education Director certificate.