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.

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

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Hercules Mooney

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

There are many examples of classroom teachers who serve our country as veterans. This is true of the chalkboard hero Hercules Mooney, who served in the American military during both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

Hercules was born in 1715 in Ballaghmoor, Kings County, Ireland. As a young man in Ireland, he found work as a tutor. In 1733, Hercules emigrated to the United States, and settled in Dover, New Hampshire. There he inaugurated his career as a full-fledged teacher. He worked there for about 17 years, and then, after 1750, he found a teaching position in the nearby town of Durham.

When the French and Indian War broke out in 1757, the intrepid teacher joined the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment. He was given the rank of captain. During this war, Hercules fought at the Siege of Fort William Henry, a battle that unfortunately resulted in resounding defeat. When the war was over, Hercules returned to his teaching post in Durham. In addition to his teaching duties, he was elected a town selectman in 1765.

When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, Hercules was ready once again to serve his newly-formed country. He was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He served in Long’s regiment and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign. In June, 1779, he was given command of his own regiment of the New Hampshire Militia. This regiment was given orders to go to Rhode Island to keep watch on the British Army at Newport.

At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Hercules moved to Holderness, Grafton County, New Hampshire, where he continued his duties as a teacher and also served as a justice of the peace.

This chalkboard hero passed away at his home in April, 1800. He was 89 years old.

Jordan A. Harris: The high school teacher who was elected to Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives

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Jordan A. Harris

Philadelphia’s Jordan A. Harris, former high school languages teacher, now serves in his state’s House of Representatives.

Often accomplished classroom teachers make excellent politicians. One of these is Jordan A. Harris, a Philadelphia school teacher who currently serves in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.

Jordan graduation from Philadelphia’s John Bartram Motivation High School in 2002. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Governmental and Political Affairs from Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania, in 2006. He earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Cabrini College in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, in 2008. He has also done work towards his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania.

Jordan taught school for several years in the Philadelphia Public Schools.  He was employed as a languages teacher at Union Area High School located in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. While there, he was instrumental in designing Slam Dunk, a summer program that assisted over 600 high school students to meet credit requirements for graduation.

In 2013, Jordan was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represents the 186th District. For the 2017-2018 legislative session, he was elected to the Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He is also part of the Career & Technical Education Caucus, the Community College Caucus, and the Early Childhood Education Caucus.

In his effort to serve young people, Jordan has worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Youth Commission, where he used his influence to improve conditions for  the city’s youth and young adults. In this office, Jordan was able to extend the hours of the city’s recreation centers and create alternative activities. In addition, Jordan has served as the President of the Board of Directors at Lincoln Day Educational Center, the oldest continuously operating African American Day School in the country. And he has  served as a Member of the Board of the Hardy Williams Education Fund and the Christian Street YMCA.

For his efforts, the former classroom teacher has won many accolades. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Magazine. He was also honored with Odunde 365’s 2017 Community Service Award for Positively Impacting Lives.

How our nation’s teachers contribute to our democracy

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patriotic
As we celebrate the birth of our country today, I am reminded of the role our 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 Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire history teacher who became the first educator in space; or 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. 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 fist book, Chalkboard Champions or in my second book Chalkboard Heroes.

Lisa Niver: Award-winning science teacher and travel blogger

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Lisa Niver

Lisa Niver, award-winning science teacher and travel blogger

During their summers off, many teachers often enjoy improving their professional practice through sifting through resources in their field. Many teachers also enjoy expanding their horizons through traveling, either within the United States or abroad. Science teacher Lisa Niver is a talented educator who can help you with both!

Lisa is a former junior high school science educator from Los Angeles, California. She is well-known in science teacher circles for her instructional strategies that emphasize the use of technology in the classroom. She’s also noted for using students’ real world connections to explore their passions and to work towards solving today’s most complex issues. She also developed a successful summer science camp for students, and created a science-based website entitled Science Isn’t Scary. In 2009, Lisa founded the Los Angeles Science Teachers Network (LASTN),  a professional development network that by May, 2012, involved over 70 teachers and 40 schools. The effort was praised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

In addition to her career as a professional educator, Lisa is also a sought-after motivational speaker, travel agent, and travel writer. Lisa has traveled to over 99 countries, and has been recognized as one of the top five female travel bloggers. In addition, she is the Adventure Correspondent for The Jet Set, the first travel based TV Talk show. To learn more about unique travel experiences, check out Lisa’s fabulous website at We Said Go Travel.

Lisa has published many articles in online and offline magazines, including National Geographic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and The Jewish Journal. She was a 2012 nominee for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. In 2018, she was nominated in three categories of the Southern California Journalism Awards: Science/Technology Reporting; Travel Reporting; and Personality Profile. Click below to view a 4-minute interview of this remarkable teacher:

Dr. Jessie Voigts: Publisher of website for traveling teachers

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Dr. Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts: Publisher of website for traveling teachers.

Summer vacation often means travel, both domestic and international, for dedicated classroom teachers. If that describes you, then here is an educator whose travel website you might be interested in checking out. Her name is Dr. Jessie Voigts.

Jessie is the publisher of Wandering Educators, a travel library for individuals who are curious about the world. She also publishes Journey to Scotland, a travel site for her favorite country in the world. She founded the Family Travel Bloggers Association, and directs the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program. The program is on-going, free, multi-term online class and mentoring program for students ages 12-18. The program is for teenagers with a natural curiosity about the world and a passion for expressing themselves through words, photos, videos, and conversations. In addition, Jessie has published six books about travel and intercultural learning, with others in the works.

Jessie attended the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she earned her doctorate in 2008 in International Education with a dual emphasis on intercultural adjustment for travel abroad and acquired disabilities. She devotes her considerable energy to seeks ways to increase intercultural understanding, especially with young people. She has traveled around the world, and she has lived and worked in Japan and England. She is passionate about international education, study abroad, smart travel, intercultural awareness, and travel with disabilities.

“I truly believe that international education can change the world,” Jessie once said.  “From studying abroad, hosting exchange students, working abroad, doing international internships, taking international classes, learning languages, taking a gap year, asking questions and learning about people’s lives, and traveling, there is a plethora of ways to learn about people, places, cultures, and ways of being in the world.”