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.

Great gifts and inspirational reading for Winter Break

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Season’s Greetings!

I’m sure busy educators all over the country are busy wrapping up their current instructional programs, creating holiday lessons and programs, working on finals, and calculating semester grades. So much to do before the onset of Winter Break. At the same time, these dedicated professionals are decorating their classrooms, homes, and yards for the season, while also addressing holiday cards, baking cookies, and shopping for gifts. So much to do to get ready for Christmas, too.

Speaking of Christmas shopping, I have a suggestion. Why not buy an inspirational book for the teacher in your family, your child’s special teacher, or that favorite co-worker at your school? Or you could indulge yourself, and stock up on something inspirational to read during your much-needed 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 reasonably priced.

Enjoy!

Chalkboard Champion Mary Gannon: The teacher with no arms

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Teaching in a classroom filled with fifth-graders is already a difficult, but one chalkboard champion from Lakewood, Ohio, faces an extra challenge. Teacher Mary Gannon was born without her arms.

As a young child, Mary lived in an orphanage in Mexico City. When she was seven years old, she was adopted by American parents who brought her to this country. When she arrived, she spoke no English. Mary said growing up in an orphanage gave her a desire to help and teach kids. “Sometimes I even forget that I don’t have arms because my students don’t treat me any differently,” Mary declared. Now an adult, Mary teaches math and science at Harding Middle School  in the small Ohio city of Lakewood, located near Cleveland.

This amazing educator said she decided to share her story to show everyone that anything is possible. View her story in the video below. It’s a few years old, but the story is timeless.

 

Cindy Couchman: 2014 inductee in the National Teachers’ Hall of Fame

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Cindy Couchman

High School math teacher Cindy Couchman of Kasas: a 2014 inductee in the National Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

Throughout our country there are many gifted educators who have been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Among these is Cindy Couchman, a high school math teacher from Buhler, Kansas, who was inducted in 2014.

Cindy earned an Associate of Arts degree from Cloud County Community College in 1988. Then she attended Kansas State University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in 1993.

From 1990-1995, the talented educator taught Algebra and Geometry at Concordia High School. In 1995 she transferred to Buhler High School, where she has taught Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus. In addition, since 2004 she has taught College Algebra, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, and Calculus at Hutchinson Community College. In 2006, Cindy earned her national Board Certification. In addition, she is a published author in Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul and More Best Practices for High School Classrooms. She has presented at state and national conferences on instructional practices, the flipped classroom, and alternative assessments.

For her work in the classroom, Cindy has earned many accolades. In 2009, she garnered the Excellence in Education Award from the National Education Association. In 2009, she was named Kansas Teacher of the Year and was a national finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

“Mrs. Couchman brings to the classroom an unfailing commitment to student success, a matchless sense of humor, and the energy level that provides opportunities for ‘as long as it takes’ for students to experience success,” says School Board Member marilyn Bolton. “She is the consummate professional whose vibrancy makes the teaching profession inspiring and appealing,” Bolton continues.

History teacher and US Air Force veteran Darrell Jones

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Darrell Jones

Teacher and US Air Force veteran Darrell Jones as seen on his tour of duty in Kirkuk, Iraq, in 2006. 

On one special day in November, the entire country pauses to express appreciation to our nation’s heroic veterans for all they have done, including laying their lives on the line, to protect our American freedoms. One such veteran is Darrell Jones, a middle school history teacher in Mississippi.

As a younger man, Darrell served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. On active duty from 1991 to 2011, he was deployed over two dozen times, including stints in war-torn Iraq. During his years of service, the now-retired Technical Sergeant worked as a crew chief and as an aircraft mechanic.

Darrell grew up in Buffalo, New York. After he graduated high school in 1988, he enrolled in college, where he completed three years of study. He interrupted his studies to join the military, but once he retired from the Air Force in 2011, he used his GI benefits to complete his degree. He earned his Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from Mississippi State University in 2014.

This valiant veteran now works as a 7th grade history teacher at Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi. “People ask me all the time why I became a teacher after working hard in the military for 20 years,” says Darrell. “I say…I want to continue to serve my country and take care of our children.” He is as dedicated to his work with students as he was to his work in the military. “My goal is to show my students the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, without taking the joy away from the holiday,” asserts Darrell. “I want them to remember we can honor those who have given their lives for our country and appreciate what they have done while also cherishing the fact that we get to spend the day with friends and family.”

Here is the American hero and Chalkboard Champion with some of his kids. Thank you for all your service, Darrell!

Teacher and US Air Force veteran Darrell Jones here with some of his students.