Category Archives: Education

Educator Teacher Gladys Kamakuokalani Brandt advanced social causes

Posted on by
Reply

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.

DE educator Anthony Swierzbinski garners 2024 History Teacher Award

Posted on by
Reply

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.

LA teacher Janet McCrevan named 2024 State Teacher of the Year finalist

Posted on by
Reply

Elementary school teacher Janet McCrevan has been named a 2024 State Teacher of the Year Finalist by the Louisiana State Department of Education. Photo Credit: Louisiana State Department of Education

There are many outstanding educators who work in American public schools. Janet McCrevan, an elementary school teacher in Louisiana, is one of them. In fact, in 2024 she was named a State Teacher of the Year Finalist by the Louisiana State Department of Education. The honor is to recognize educators who are making exceptional gains with students, guiding them to achieve at the highest levels of achievement in the state.

Janet teaches second graders at South Highlands Elementary Magnet School in Shreveport, Caddo Parish. Curriculum at the school emphasizes academics and performing arts.

Janet has always known she would pursue a career in education. “Teaching is in my blood,” declares Janet, “as my mother is a retired teacher. Because of this early exposure to the classroom, I learned to love teaching at an early age,” she continues. “As a young child, I developed a love for teaching and I knew that teaching is what I was born to do,” she concludes.

Originally, Janet is from Wagarville, Alabama. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from the University of Montavallo in Montavallo, Alabama, in 1989.  She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Montavallo in Elementary Education and Early Childhood in 1992. Since 1990, Janet has taught kindergarten, first, and second grades in the states of Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.

Each year the Louisiana Department of Education in partnership with Dream Teachers acknowledges competent, qualified, and motivated teachers through its Teacher of the Year Recognition Program. This year, Janet was honored with other Teacher of the Year finalists at the 17th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala held at the World War II Museum on July 22, 2023.

Teacher and principal Nelson Bartram was also a Civil War Veteran

Posted on by
Reply

Teacher and principal Nelson Bartram fought on the Union side during the Civil War. Photo Credit: Library of Congress

Many hardworking educators have served their country well during times of war. One of these was Nelson Bartram, a teacher and principal who fought during the Civil War on the Union side.

Nelson was born in Westport, New York, on January 7, 1832. While still a child his family relocated to Manhattan. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Nelson was working as a teacher managing a night school on Nineteenth Street. At the same time, he was employed as a principal at the public school on West Twenty Fourth Street.

When the War Between the States broke out, Nelson mustered into service with the Seventeenth Infantry as a captain, Company B, on May 22, 1861. He was promoted to major of the regiment in December of that year, and lieutenant colonel in May, 1862. He mustered out of service with the regiment in June, 1863. He was then appointed lieutenant colonel of the new 15th New York Cavalry. In September, 1863, he resigned that post to accept a commission as colonel of the 20th US Colored Troops (USCT) organized on Riker’s Island in February, 1864. While serving in the military, Nelson was a witness to all the major engagements that the Army of the Potomac fought in until December 1863. This Chalkboard Hero mustered out with 20th USCT in October, 1865.

After the war, Nelson went to work as a clerk in the New York Customs House. That was in 1870. He also served as the Deputy Collector there until his passing on December 25, 1886, in New York City. On Sept. 26, 1900, a bronze statue was erected in his honor at Port Chester, New York.

To learn more about this heroic teacher and US veteran, see this article published by Adventures in History.

Making Waves with Colorado’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about educator Jessica May. She was named the 2024 Colorado State Teacher of the Year. Today I stumbled across this video of her, and I thought it was so inspiring that I wanted to highlight this amazing teacher again. Jessica teaches courses in family and consumer sciences at Turner Middle School in Berthoud, Colorado. Her curriculum is focused not only on cooking and sewing, but also on self-care, social emotional learning, life skills (including personal finances), child development, and school to career. Here is the video: