Meet educator Jordanna Maga, the 2019 Teacher of the Year for american Samoa. Teaching has helped her to realize that young adult and adolescents respond with enthusiasm and excitement to activities that they are familiar with. One of her students requested to do a video presentation instead of standing up and talking to his classmates. By allowing the student to showcase a video, this chalkboard champion allowed him to show his skills in other areas, especially technology. Jordanna says that this experience changed the way she does things in the classroom. She gives the students freedom to present in their preferred avenue to show that they understand the lesson. Watch this short You Tube video below to learn more:

As we celebrate the birth of our country today, I am reminded of the role our nation’s many chalkboard champions have played throughout history to preserve and perpetuate the freedoms we all enjoy.

Classroom educators teach our children about our nation’s rich heritage, our history, and our system of government. They lead children in the creation of hand-traced turkeys at Thanksgiving, teach them the words and music to our patriotic songs, design lessons about the accomplishments of our presidents and social reformers such as political activist Martin Luther King and labor leader Cesar Chavez, remind students of the contributions of our veterans, and organize patriotic festivities throughout the year. Our teachers even educate our kids about our failures so that we can become a better democracy.

And let’s not forget that many of our nation’s courageous teachers have become, themselves, a part of our country’s historical record. There are many fine examples. Think of Olive Mann Isbell, the Ohio teacher who was one of many pioneers who established a school in the Wild West frontier, or Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire history teacher who became the first educator in space. Think of Henry Alvin Cameron, the Tennessee science teacher who sacrificed his life for freedom in the WWI Battle of the Argonne Forest; or Robert Parris Moses, the New York City math teacher who played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Think of Carrie Chapman Catt, the Iowa teacher who dedicated her life to earning the right to vote for women, and Zitkala-Sa, the South Dakota teacher who worked to secure the vote for Native Americans.

From sea to shining sea, there are thousands of teachers in our nation’s history who have made contributions to our society in large ways or quiet ways as veterans, activists, and supporters of our democracy. We thank them all for the freedoms we celebrate today.

You can read about some of these heroic teachers in my first book, Chalkboard Champions, or in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes, both available on amazon.

Teachers, here’s a dose of inspiration, an acknowledgment of all your hard work. Found it on You Tube; created by Teach for America. Enjoy!