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.

Elem educator Kelly Shrein named Alaska’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Kelly Shrein of Anchorage has been named Alaska’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Alaska Public Media

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these educators is Kelly Shrein, an elementary school teacher from Anchorage, Alaska. She has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Kelly teaches a combination class for first and second graders at Chinook Elementary School in Anchorage. During the pandemic, she demonstrated extraordinary resolve to connect with her students beyond online teaching. She started by driving to the house of each of her students to express how much they were missed. She then began writing postcards, setting up Zoom meetings, and making phone calls consistently through the Spring and Summer.

“This past school year has thrown so many curveballs at educators and our students and their families,” asserts Kelly. “And I learned through this experience, I just needed to think outside of the box more,” she said. “How do I connect more with my students? How do I connect more with their families? How do I keep these relationships going? Because they’re so important,” she concluded.

When classes resumed via Zoom in Fall of 2020, attendance in her class was higher than anticipated. The results of the time spent connecting with students outside of class were apparent. Her outreach gained the attention of local news outlets around the country and was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine in May, 2020.

Her effort did not go unnoticed by administrators in her District. “Kelly Shrein is a shining example of what makes Alaska’s educators among the best in the country,” declares school Commissioner Michael Johnson. “Even in the face of adversity, Mrs. Shrein goes to extraordinary lengths on a daily basis to connect with her students and ensure an excellent education, regardless of the circumstances,” he continued. “Kelly’s work to reach out to, support, and encourage her students throughout the pandemic shows tremendous creativity and care – not just for who the students are today, but for the adults and leaders they will become in the future,” Johnson concluded.

Kelly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2013 from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 2018, she earned a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Reading and Literacy from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

To read more about Kelly Shrein, see this article about her published on the website for  CCSSO Teacher of the Year.

Making sure AAPI students feel seen, affirmed, and included

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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month recently came to a close, but supporting AAPI students is important all year round. In this short video message provided by Teacher2Teacher, educator Natasha Akery of South Carolina shares her suggestions for making sure that every student feels seen, affirmed, and included. Take a look:

 

 

Incorporating a tour of the Israeli Parliament into classroom curriculum

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Summer has finally arrived, and this is the time that many educators are eager to incorporate travel into their vacation plans. Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. I recently returned from a trip to Israel, and while I was there I could see many opportunities for incorporating travel experiences into classroom curriculum.

A visit to the parliament of another country, particularly, offers opportunities for comparisons between the American system of government and the systems of other democracies around the world.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell tours the Israeli Parliament during her recent trip to Israel and Jordan. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

An excellent example of this is the visit I made to the Knesset. The Knesset is the governing body of the Israeli government, responsible for electing the president, approving the cabinet, passing national laws, and supervising committees. Unlike the legislature of the United States, which features two houses—a Senate and a House of Representatives—there is only one house in the Israeli Parliament. The Knesset’s 120 members are elected by popular vote and represent all of the various communities present in the country’s populations. Knesset members serve four-year terms. The most surprising fact I learned on my visit? Israel has no formal constitution! Instead, the country is governed by a set of 13 Basic Laws which were originally intended to be a rough draft of a constitution; however, the final document was never written.

Science teachers might want to point out that the structure of the Knesset is one of the greenest parliament buildings in the world, constructed with numerous large windows to allow for abundant natural lighting, solar panels covering the roof, auto-close air-conditioners, and thermally insulated double-paned windows.

Hal Marzell visits the Plenary Hall of the Israeli Parliament on a recent tour of the Knesset. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Art and interior design teachers can also create lessons based on a tour of the Knesset. For example, in contrast to the chambers housing the US Senate and the House of Representatives, the Israeli Parliament meets in a rather starkly-furnished room. This assembly room, known as Plenary Hall, is three stories tall.  Knesset members are seated by rank in a horse-shoe shape on the Plenum floor facing a dais where the Speaker sits. Behind the dais rises a wall adorned with a mostly flat, rather colorless artistic sculpture by Israeli artist Dani Karavan (1930–2021). The artwork, entitled “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6), is based on the theme of the relationship between the spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem and the physical, earthly Jerusalem. The wall is comprised of large rectangular blocks of Galilee stone. On the left side of the wall hangs a portrait of Theodor Herzl, an early visionary of the Jewish state, etched on a tablet of dark zinc. Looking down over the plenary floor are the VIP gallery, which is where the Israeli president sits while observing Knesset sessions, and the public gallery.

Terry Lee Marzell examines the immense wall mosaic designed especially for the Knesset by Jewish artist Marc Chagall. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

One of the most striking aspects of the art of the Knesset, though, are the art pieces designed by world-renowned Russian-born Jewish artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985). He created three large tapestries, 12 floor mosaics, and one wall mosaic specifically for the Knesset’s State Hall, the scene of important state ceremonies and state events. These works of art incorporate scenes from the Old Testament combined with depictions of events in modern history, and emphasize the return to the Promised Land. Obviously, the concept of the separation between church and state which permeates much of American government is not a part of the governing processes of Israel.

And that’s my personal take-away on how my recent tour of Israel’s Knesset could contribute to the classroom curriculum. Other ideas? Feel free to comment.

An exploration of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center

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Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell examines a display at Yad Vashem, the internationally-renowned Holocaust Remembrance Center located in Israel. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

Now that Covid-19 stay-at-home restrictions have been eased, many educators are eager to incorporate travel into their summer vacation plans. Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and restorative, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. Recently, I was able to travel to Israel and Jordan, and I could see many opportunities for incorporating my experiences into learning opportunities in the classroom.

An excellent example of this is the visit I made last month to Yad Vashem, the internationally-renowned Holocaust Remembrance Center located in Jerusalem. The center, founded in 1953, is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl, also known as the Mountain of Remembrance, in western Jerusalem. With approximately one million visitors each year, Yad Vashem is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in Israel, second only to the Western Wall. Like any study and contemplation of the Holocaust, this visit was a somber and disturbing one. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend a trip here to anyone who is able to go.

Young Israeli soldiers are required to take a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center as part of their military training. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

One thing that surprised me during my visit was the presence of so many young Israeli soldiers, both men and women, who were also touring the museum. Such a tour is required as part of their military training.

In addition to the exhibition pavilion, we visited a very moving memorial to the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. This unique memorial was hollowed out from an underground cavern. Five memorial candles are reflected in the extremely dark and somber space. These candles created the illusion of millions of stars shining in the firmament. As we proceeded through the memorial, the names of murdered children and their ages and countries of origin are recited in the background. The effect was both beautiful and haunting.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell at the Pilar of Heroism which commemorates the resistance to Nazi domination and extermination. The Pilar is located at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center  in Jerusalem. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

When I was still in the classroom and teaching about the Holocaust, my curriculum evolved to cover what I believed to be three important aspects of the Holocaust. First, I believe that teaching the Holocaust is important, bt this is not the only theme about the Jewish people that is important.  Therefore, I incorporated Jewish cultural aspects such as folk tales, music, and art into the lesson plans. Second, I didn’t want my students to view the Jewish people only as victims. Therefore, I included information about resistance efforts, including the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, into the lesson plans. At Yad Vashem, these efforts are commemorated by the Pilar of Heroism. And third, I didn’t want my students to be burdened by feelings of guilt about an event which they did not participate and over which they had no control. For this reason, I incorporated information about individuals who rescued, hid, or aided Jewish people in their efforts to avoid Nazi extermination. Yad Vashem honors these individuals, whom they call the “Righteous Among Nations,” in a tree-lined avenue and a garden.

If you, too, are involved in teaching aspects of the Holocaust in your classrooms, Yad Vashem offers a wealth of resources on their website. The website offers background information, including a timeline with over 200 entries related to the major events that occurred before, during, and immediately after the Holocaust. Also available are digital photo archives, full-length survivor testimonies, an online film catalog, a documents archive, and a database of the righteous. All of these materials, and more, are available for you to choose from on their website.

I hope that if you are teaching about the Holocaust, someday you will be able to visit this memorial in person yourself. Until then, please explore the online resources available from Yad Vashem. Simply click on this link to YadVashem.org.