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.

K.C. Boyd: Teacher Librarian extraordinaire

Posted on by

K.C. Boyd: Washington DC’s Teacher Librarian extraordinaire

Today we’re shining the spotlight on K.C. Boyd, Teacher Librarian extraordinaire from Washington, DC. This Chalkboard Champion has been featured in Education Weekly, School Library Journal, PBS News Hour, American Libraries, Library Journal, and Medium Magazine.

K.C. is affectionately called “Boss Librarian” by her students.  What does her work with the kids look like? “Some weeks I teach classes that support the curriculum in conjunction with lessons that are taught by teachers,” she describes. “I enjoy this immensely because I’m presenting curricular content in a different way. This alternative way of teaching the lesson often provides students with a more global view of the material and makes it more meaningful,” she asserts.

“There are other weeks when I do not have classes,” she continues. “This is when I’m identifying print/digital resources for the teachers and students for use in the classroom, scanning the net for free programs that are aligned with the mission/vision of the school, and keeping abreast of new trends in library science that I can use in my library,” she explains. “Lunch periods are always busy, as I have students in the library either checking out books, quietly talking to their friends, or watching a book that was made into a movie with my Apple TV,” she concludes.

K.C. is a second-generation educator. Her parents were teachers, both born in the South during the Jim Crow era. To seek better opportunities, they migrated north to Chicago in the 1960’s. And that’s where K.C. grew up.

K.C. holds three Master’s degrees: in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership. Before accepting her position in DC, she worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District in East St. Louis, Illinois. She also worked as an Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools and a District Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students.

“Working in school libraries is not easy,” confesses K.C. “It’s a roller coaster of events and emotions that are not for the weak. Committed warrior librarians possess the same driving force: a deep and abiding love for libraries,” she continued.

You can read more about this Chalkboard Champion in this interview at Tech at EdCircuit. You can follow K.C. Boyd on Twitter @Boss_Librarian.

Teacher Tim Staples killed during a search and rescue mission for a lost hiker

Posted on by

Chalkboard Hero Tim Staples, tragically killed on Sat., Dec. 14, during a search and rescue mission for a lost hiker.

When the community is in desperate need of volunteers, it is often the teachers who respond. They often give their all to help wherever they are needed. This is certainly true of Tim Staples, a beloved Social Studies and English teacher from La Verne, California. This Chalkboard Hero tragically lost his life on Sat., Dec. 14 while conducting a search and rescue mission for a lost hiker.

Tim volunteered for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department search and rescue team for nine years. His lifeless body was found on Saturday night at the bottom of an ice chute. It is believe his death was the result of a bad fall in the snow and ice. The accident occurred while Tim and 125 other volunteers were searching Mt. Baldy for Sree Mokkapati of Ivine, who went missing in the area a week ago. The conditions under which this search was conducted were described as extremely dangerous.

The intrepid educator taught Social Studies and English at Damien High School, an all-boys Catholic school in La Verne. Tim also coached track and was an avid supporter of the debate team. Prior to his two and a half years at the Damien, Tim taught for five and a half years at St Lucy’s Priory High School in Glendora, California.

To read more about this chalkboard hero, read this article published by the Los Angeles Daily News.

Spanish teacher Jessica Crawford offers inspiration

Posted on by

Here’s your weekly dose of inspiration, provided by Jessica Crawford, a Spanish teacher at Horizon Middle School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “I look forward to coming to work every single day, because I get to work with these great, amazing, talented kids,” says Jessica.

Georgia’s Laura Ross named School Counselor of the Year

Posted on by

Georgia’s Laura Ross named School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

Today we send congratulations out to Laura Ross, a school counselor at Five Forks Middle School in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She’s been named the 2020 School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

Laura earned her degree at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. In fact, she has three degrees: A Bachelor’s in Social Work, a Master’s in Social Work, and a degree as an Educational Specialist in Professional School Counseling. In a career that has spanned nine years, she has spent the last five of them at Five Forks. Five Forks is part of the Gwinnet County Public School District.

“Laura is a true hero when it comes to helping us grow as a school in building relationships with our students,” remarked Christine Douthart, Principal of Five Forks Middle School. “She is a school counselor who has the best interest of students at the heart of everything she does.”

This amazing school counselor serves as a trainer for the Dove Self-Esteem Project. She facilitates presentations to educators about body confidence for teenagers. She has also spearheaded a movement to provide acceptance and support for her students in the LGBTQ community. To this end, she became a founding sponsor of her school’s first Gay/Straight Alliance.

The School Counselor of the Year Award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students. These Chalkboard Champions devote themselves to addressing students’ academic, social, and emotional development, and their college and career readiness needs.

To read more about Laura, click on this link to the American School Counselor Association.