Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Teacher Gertrude Chandler Warner authored The Boxcar Children Mysteries
Gertrude Chandler Warner of Connecticut was an elementary school teacher who became famous for writing The Boxcar Children Mysteries. Photo credit: Gertrude Warner Museum
There are many talented classroom teachers who have also made a name for themselves as popular authors. One of these is Gertrude Chandler Warner of Connecticut, an elementary school teacher who became famous for writing the children’s stories known as The Boxcar Children Mysteries.
Gertrude was born on April 16, 1890, in Putnam, Connecticut. She decided at a very young age that she wanted to be an author. From the age of five, she wrote stories for her grandfather, and each Christmas she gifted one of these stories to him. As a youngster, Gertrude suffered from frequent illnesses, and for this reason she never finished high school. In her sophomore year, she completed her secondary education with the assistance of a tutor.
In 1918, when World War I was in full swing, Gertrude was hired to teach first grade, primarily because many men teachers were being called to serve in the military. The position served to be a good fit for Gertrude, who continued to teach until 1950. During these years, she spent her summers completing education courses at Yale University.
All her life, Gertrude was a nature-lover. As a child, she developed butterfly and moth collections, pressed wild flowers, learned about the birds in her area, and tended a garden. She incorporated these interests in her classroom lessons, and she also developed nature themes in her books.
In 1924, while convalescing at home from a lengthy illness, Gertrude developed the idea for a children’s book. This is how she came to write the first installment of The Boxcar Children. The story was published by Rand McNally and Company in 1924. Not only did Gertrude write the original story, but she also wrote the next 18 books in the series.
After her retirement from the classroom, Gertrude became a volunteer for the American Red Cross, the Connecticut Cancer Society, and other community service organizations. This talented educator and author passed away on August, 20, 1979, at the age of 89. She is interred at Grove Street Cemetery in her home town of Putnam, Connecticut.
To learn more about Gertrude Chandler Warner, click on this link to The Boxcar Children Museum.
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Educator Gladys Kamakuokalani Brandt advanced social causes
Educator Gladys Kamakuokalani Brandt worked tirelessly to advance social causes, especially the knowledge of Hawaiian students about their own culture. Photo Credit: Kamehaha Schools
Many hardworking educators dedicate themselves to social causes of importance in addition to their classroom responsibilities. One of these is this beautiful lady, Gladys Kamakuokalani Brandt, a Native Hawaiian teacher, who worked tirelessly towards increasing the knowledge of Native Hawaiian students about their own culture.
Gladys is old enough to have attended the funeral services in 1917 of Queen Liliuokalani, the last reining monarch of Hawaii, and still young enough to witness the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 which brought the United States into World War II.
When Gladys began her career as a teacher, she worked in public schools in Hawaii. Eventually she became an instructor at the prestigious Kamehameha Schools, a private institution set up to educate Native Hawaiian students.
As a youngster, Gladys was led to feel deeply ashamed of her Hawaiian heritage, so much so that she rubbed her face with lemon juice to lighten her complexion. By the time she became the Principal of Kamehameha Schools, however, she had resolved to fight tirelessly for the inclusion of courses to preserve Native Hawaiian culture. She supported instruction in Hawaiian language, song, and the controversial standing hula dance which had been forbidden by the school’s trustees. The story of her work is truly an inspirational one.
Equally inspirational is the story of the dedication and sacrifice of Hawaii’s teachers in the days and weeks following the bombing of Pear Harbor. From serving as ambulance drivers, setting up shelters for survivors, teaching their students how to use gas masks, taking their students into the sugar cane fields to harvest the crops, and re-establishing some semblance of order for their students when school resumed, their deeds are truly remarkable.
You can read about Gladys and her fellow Hawaiian teachers in my book, Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers Who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students.
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DE educator Anthony Swierzbinski garners 2024 History Teacher Award
Middle school Social Studies educator Anthony Swierzbinski has been honored as the 2024 Delaware History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Photo Credit: The John Dickinson School
I am always excited to share the news that an outstanding educator has earned recognition for their work with young people. Today, I share the news that middle school teacher Anthony Swierzbinski has been honored as the 2024 Delaware History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional elementary through high school teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to American history education.
Anthony teaches at The John Dickinson School, a comprehensive secondary school for grades 6—12 located in the Pike Creek area of suburban Wilmington, Delaware. The school offers a focus on the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Dickinson is named for one of the nation’s founding fathers and a signer of the US Constitution.
Anthony, who is often called “Mr. Swiz” by his students and colleagues, has been teaching at Dickinson since 2009. In the past, he has instructed courses Civics and Economics in high school. Currently, he teaches 6th and 8th grade Social Studies in the middle years program (MYP). In addition, Anthony has served as the cross country and the track and field coach for the middle school. In the eight years he as served in these roles, Anthony has developed one of the most competitive middle school running programs in the state with multiple individual and team titles. As the Head Coach of the Dickinson Ram MYP teams, Coach Swiz emphasizes the values of hard work, good sportsmanship, having a positive attitude, making healthy lifestyle choices, and “doing the right thing.”
As the winner of the 2024 National History Teacher of the Year Award, Anthony will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a specially-currated collection of classroom resources.
