I love to share stories about plucky teachers, and in the short video below I share some information about innovative educator and tireless suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt. Watch the video to learn more about her.
Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Coronavirus claims life of Wisconsin teacher Heidi Hussli
The coronavirus has claimed the life of high school German teacher Heidi Hussli of Wisconsin.
We are sad to report that the coronavirus has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Heidi Hussli, a foreign language teacher at Bay Port High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin, passed away from the disease on Sept. 17, 2020. She was 47 years old.
Heidi taught German at Bay Port High School in the Howard-Suamico School District for the past 16 years. Two of the classes she taught were International Baccalaureate courses.
Those who knew her are already expressing thoughts about their loss. “People were just drawn to her. She definitely touched every soul she met in a positive way,” expressed former student Erin Froelich. Former student Emily Ross agrees. “She’s definitely one of the teachers who stands out the most to me,” she remembers. “Her ability to reach kids made me realize that, as a teacher, your power to impact students is limitless. I think about that every day in my classroom.” Emily currently teaches special education in Minnesota.
Heidi was born on July 15, 1973, in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. She graduated from Beaver Dam High School in 1991. During a high school trip to Germany, Heidi became enamored of the country, and that affection was responsible for her future career as a teacher of the German language. After she graduated from high school, Heidi enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, where she studied German and secondary education. During her collegiate years, Heidi spent more time studying in Germany, and once she earned her degree in 1997, she returned to Germany to enroll at the Univeritat of Konstanz to study the German and Linguistics.
To read more about the passing of this beloved educator, see this story printed in the Green Bay Press Gazette.
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Alabama teacher Idella Jones Childs worked to better her community
Alabama teacher and historian Idella Jones Childs worked tirelessly to improve her community. (Photo credit: Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame)
I believe that teachers are among the most dedicated individuals when it comes to their classroom communities, so it comes as no surprise to me that they are often among the most dedicated individuals when it comes to working towards improving society as a whole. This is certainly true of Idella Jones Childs, an elementary school teacher and historian from Alabama who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
Idella was born on June 21, 1903, in Marion, Perry County, Alabama. As a young woman, she attended Lincoln Normal School, a teacher-training college, where she earned her teaching credential. She later earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Alabama State University. For over 35 years, Idella taught history, social studies, biology, and algebra in segregated elementary schools in her home town of Marion.
All her life, this amazing teacher was a tireless advocate for the equality and dignity of all people. During the Civil Rights Movement, she even volunteered her home in Marion to be a meeting place for activists.
Idella established the Perry County Arts and Humanities Council in 1982, and she became the first Chairwoman of the organization. The Council provided the disadvantaged children of the rural county with unique cultural experiences. For this work, President Jimmy Carter named her an honorary member of the National Commission on the International Year of the Child.
This was not the only work Idella did to improve her community. She also served on the Library Board and was a member of both the Retired Teachers Organization and the Association of University Women. In 1985, at the age of 79, Idella was appointed to served on the City Council in Marion. She was the first African American woman to serve on the Council. In 1988, she was re-elected to the position. That same year she was appointed to the Board of the Alabama Historical Commission.
For her work towards improving her community, Idella garnered many accolades. She earned an Unsung Heroes Award from NASA in 1993, during the agency’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition, every year, the Alabama Historical Commission’s Black Heritage Council bestows the Idella Childs Distinguished Service Award, which “recognizes people who have contributed to the preservation of African American historic places.”
This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on August 8, 1998. She was 95 years old. Her memorial service was held at her alma mater, Lincoln Normal School. She was interred at Marion Cemetery on Lafayette Street.
To read more about Idella Jones Childs, see this entry from the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.
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Alaska Home Ec teacher Patricia Roppel also earned fame as a historian and author
Alaska home economics teacher Patricia Roppel also earned fame as a historian and author. (Photo credit: SitNews.)
Many fine classroom teachers earn accolades in endeavors outside of the classroom. One of these is Patricia Roppel, a home economics teacher from Alaska who also earned fame as a historian and author.
Patricia was born April 5, 1938, in Ellensburg, Washington. As a young woman, she earned her degree in Home Economics from Oregon State University. As a young co-ed, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority. Patricia moved to Alaska in 1959, where she accepted a position as a home economics teacher at Ketchikan High School. She taught there until 1965.
In March of 1965, Patricia published her first article in the Alaska Sportsman. Over the next 50 years, she published 13 books and more than 100 articles about the history of southeast Alaska. In her writings, she expertly described the industries of the region, including mining, salmon fishing, hatcheries, and canning. For this work, she was honored as Alaska Historian of the Year in both 1978 and 2006.
In 1975, Alaska Governor Jay Hammond appointed the veteran educator to his newly-formed Alaska Historical Commission. She served on this body until 1983. Among the Commission’s tasks was the writing of a new high school textbook about the history of the state. In 1991, the former teacher was appointed by Governor Wally Hickel to the Alaska Humanities Forum, a position she held until 1996. In 2003, Patricia was once again named to the Alaska Historical Commission by Governor Tony Knowles. She served in this role until 2015. In addition, Patricia was one of the founding board members of Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture (SSRA).
Sadly, Patricia passed away from cancer in Bellevue, Washington, on January 6, 2015. You can read more about her in her obituary, published by SitNews.
