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.

Music educator Matt Harloff to lead students in 2024 Macy’s Parade

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Director of Bands Matt Harloff of Avon High School in Avon, Indiana, will lead his 286-member marching band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Photo credit: Avon High School

One of the most exciting American traditions of the holiday season is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These past few years it has become my tradition to wake up on Thanksgiving Day, grab a hot Starbuck’s, and watch the parade—in its entirety—in my pajamas! An an integral part of the parade is the high school marching bands, led by some of the most talented and dedicated music educators from around the country.

This year, one of the outstanding high school bands that is making an appearance in the parade is the Avon High School Black & Gold from Avon, Indiana. This 286-member group led by Director of Bands Matt Harloff is making their first appearance in the Macy’s.

Matt earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Indiana University in 1996. He earned his Master’s in Education from the University of Indianapolis in 2001.

After earning his degrees, Matt accepted a position as the Assistant Band Director at Avon High School. In the 28 years that Matt has been associated with Avon’s bands, the group has been named the ISSMA State Champions 16 times; they have been named a Top 3 State Finalist 22 times; the have garnered the Bands of America Grand National Champions four times; they earned a John Philip Souza Foundation Sudler Shield Recipient (2007); and they participated in the Rose Bowl Parade (2012),

During his career, Matt spent three years as the brass instructor for the ten-time DCI World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. He worked in that position in 1998, 1999, and 2002. Matt was also a performing member of the DCI World Champion Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps from 1989 to 1995, and he served as their drum major in 1993.

 

Former teacher Pat Conroy earns accolades as author of novels and memoirs

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Former classroom teacher Pat Conroy earned acclaim as an accomplished write of memoirs and novels. Photo credit: Pat Conroy

Many outstanding classroom teachers have also made a name for themselves as successful authors. One of these was (Donald) Patrick Conroy, who has written a number of highly-acclaimed memoirs and novels, two of which were made into movies that were nominated for Academy Awards.

Pat was born on Oct. 26, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia, the first of seven children born to a fighter pilot in the Marines and his wife. During his childhood, Pat’s family moved frequently to military bases throughout the South, eventually landing in South Carolina. After his high school graduation he earned his Bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, a military college located in Charleston, South Carolina.

Once he earned his degree, Pat accepted a teaching position at his alma mater, Beaufort High School. There he taught English and psychology. In 1969 he took a job teaching underprivileged students in grades five through eight in a one-room schoolhouse on Daufuskie, a small island about three miles off the South Carolina mainland.

Pat found teaching conditions on Daufuskie very challenging. He discovered that as far as education was concerned, the students had been severely neglected, and nearly all the students were illiterate. After just a year of teaching on Daufuskie, Pat was fired for using unconventional teaching strategies, including his use of experiential learning practices and his refusal to use corporal punishment, and for his confrontations with administrators. He wrote a 1972 memoir about this experience entitled The Water is Wide. The volume earned an award from the National Education Association for its honest depiction of institutionalized racism in public schools. In 1974, the book was adapted into the movie Conrack directed by Martin Ritt and starring Jon Voight.

This former teacher also wrote The Boo (1970); The Great Santini (1976); The Lords of Discipline (1980); Beach Music (1995); and The Prince of Tides (1986); the memoir My Losing Season (2002); The Pat Conroy Cookbook (2004); South of Broad (2009); a collection of essays entitled My Reading Life (2010); the memoir The Death of Santini (2013). His novels The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini were made into films, and both were nominated for Academy Awards.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion succumbed to pancreatic cancer on March 4, 2016, in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was 70 old. He is interred in a small cemetery on St. Helena Island near the Penn Center, where as a teenager he first met Martin Luther King and where he was honored in 2011 for his dedication to social justice.

Think about gifting Marzell books to family, friends, and colleagues!

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Another holiday season is upon us, and many people are thinking about choosing gifts for their family and friends. Time to get going on that holiday shopping!

When making your gift list, I hope you will remember the dedicated teacher that has been working tirelessly during the pandemic to provide the best education he or she possibly can for your child or children. You could consider gifting that teacher with a copy of an inspirational book. What a wonderful way to thank them for all their hard work. Or, if the teacher we are speaking of is you, you could indulge yourself and stock up on something inspirational to read during your upcoming and much-anticipated 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 is reasonably priced.

If you are looking for a light-hearted book with positive messages to gift to a young one, say between the ages of 8 and 12, consider my most recent book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles (available here). This volume makes good reading for adults as well.

As always, happy winter holidays to you and yours!

Astral Battiste named 2024 Teacher of the Year for the US Virgin Islands

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Teacher Astral Battiste has been selected the 2024 Teacher of the Year for the US Virgin Islands. Photo credit: The Virgin Islands Consortium

I am always excited to share the news that an outstanding educator has been honored for their work with young people. Today, I share the news that elementary school teacher Astral Battiste has been selected the 2024 Teacher of the Year for the US Virgin Islands.

Astral teaches kindergartners at the Pearl B. Larsen Elementary School in the Saint Croix District in the US Virgin Islands. She instructs students in the subjects of reading, language arts, math, social studies and science.

In addition, Astral leads several committees at her school site, coaches VI History Quiz Bowl, helps plans Hispanic Heritage Month, and organizes the school’s Christmas programs. And as if all that were not enough, she has led the Girl Scouts and participates in after school programs to benefit students.

It seems that Astral was meant to be an educator. As a teenager, she found herself mentoring children at 4H summer camps and volunteering at St. Croix Central High School. But she officially launched her career in education when she accepted a position as an aide at St. Mary’s Catholic School. Her career as an educator spans 20 years.

A background in reading instruction led her to be an advocate for literacy. By implementing a weekly parent class at her school, her platform is to promote literacy in early childhood education. Her goal focuses on empowering parents and students with the tools necessary to increase student reading achievement and success.

The recognition she earned from the US Virgin Islands Department of Education is not the only honor Astral has received. She was named the 2022-2023 Pearl B. Larsen Teacher of the Year, and she was also recognized as the 2022-2023 Saint Croix District Teacher of the Year.

Astral earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Sciences in 2006, and she earned her Master’s degree in Education with a Concentration in Reading Instruction in 2013, both from the University of the Virgin Islands.

Congratulations, Astral!