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.

Korey Harrington, Florida Sp Ed teacher, succumbs to Covid-19

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Sadly, we announce that Special Education teacher Korey Harrington of Florida has succumbed to Covid-19. Photo credit: St. Johns Family Funeral Home.

Regretfully we announce that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet anther beloved teacher. Korey Harrington, a middle school Special Education teacher from Nocatee, Florida, succumbed to the disease on Sept. 14, 2021. She was 47 years old.

Korey was born in New York on Nov. 12, 1973. She was raised in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and earned her degree at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania. In 2005, Korey relocated to Florida in to work at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. During her teaching career, she also worked at the Microschool in Jacksonville, Acclaim Academy, Seacoast Christian Academy, and Nease High School. At the time of her passing, Korey was working as a middle school Special Education teacher at Pine Island Academy in the St. Johns County Schools in Nocatee. Pine Island Academy just opened up this year.

As an educator, Korey had a reputation for showing up to work early and staying late, and she would go the extra mile to help just a single student, says her mother, Katherine Harrington. “She was dedicated to her students, making sure they succeeded in every way they could, Mrs. Harrington remembered. “She would work with them after hours, she would work with them during school. She was valuable to them, and I can honestly say that many of them thank her for where they are now,” Mrs. Harrington continued.

Korey;s co-workers also remembered the fallen educator this way. “I was lucky to have worked with Korey at Florida School for the Deaf and Blind,” remarked friend Evan Birnholz. “She was a special person that went out of her way for the students she worked with and became a good friend to me,” he said. “She will be missed but not forgotten by anyone who’s life she touched!”

To learn more about this exceptional educator, see this link to News4Jax.

This season, gift an inspirational book to a dedicated teacher

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Another winter season is fast approaching, and many people are thinking about getting a head start on their holiday shopping.

When making your gift list, I hope you will remember the dedicated teacher that has been working tirelessly during the pandemic to provide the best education he or she possible can for your child or children. As a gift during the upcoming holiday season, consider gifting that teacher with a copy of an inspirational book. What a wonderful way to thank them for all their hard work. Or, if the teacher we are speaking of is you, you could indulge yourself and stock up on something inspirational to read during your upcoming and much-anticipated Winter Break.

I have two splendid titles to suggest:  Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students (available here) and Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and Their Deeds of Valor (available here). Each one available in print or in e-book formats and is reasonably priced.

Enjoy!

Teacher Lori Richardson-Morphew leads Oklahoma’s state DKG organization

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Elementary teacher Lori Richardson-Morphew of Oklahoma City is active in her state’s Delta Kappa Gamma Society, International (DKG) organization. Photo Credit DKG

Many dedicated educators make meaningful contributions not only to the lives of their students, but also to the careers of their colleagues and to the members of their communities. One of these is Lori Richardson-Morphew, a hardworking teacher from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She leads her state’s Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) organization.

Lori currently teaches at Van Buren Elementary School in the Oklahoma City Public School system. She has spent the last two years at the school, but in all, her career as an educator has spanned more than 25 years.

In her classroom, Lori utilizes literature sets for teaching reading. Typically, her class reads more than 15 books over the course of a school year. For her work in the classroom, Lori has earned many honors. She garnered a Devon Energy STEM Teacher of the Match from the Oklahoma City Energy FC in 2017.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Lori is active in Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG), an International Society organized to provide professional support for women educators. She currently serves as the State President for the Oklahoma state branch of the organization, and she has previously served her branch as the First Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. Under her leadership, the organization has participated in many community service programs, including the Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation, the Schools for Africa Project, and the Susan G. Komen More than Pink Walk.

Lori is originally from Garnett, Kansas, She graduated from Garnett High School in 1982. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, in 1991.