Category Archives: Education

CA elem teacher Ofelia Valdez-Yeager served her local community

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Former California elementary teacher Ofelia Valdez-Yeager also served in many capacities in her community in many capacities. Photo credit: Hispanic Lifestyle

Many excellent classroom teachers go on to influential positions within their community. This is true of Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, a former elementary teacher from Riverside, California.

Ofelia was born in Tayoltita, Durango, Mexico, in 1947. The following year, she moved to Tijuana with her family, and ten years after that, they relocated to Montebello, California.  When she enrolled in American schools, she couldn’t speak English, but education was an emphasis in her home, so by the end of the year she finished at the top of her class. Once she graduated from high school, Ofelia began her college yeas at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), in 1965. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 1969, and her elementary teaching certificate in 1971.

Ofelia inaugurated her career as an educator in the Cucamonga School District as a bilingual-bicultural Follow Through teacher, focusing on grades K-3. In those early years, she also worked as an Upward Bound residential tutor and counselor, a high school counseling assistant, and a bilingual resource teacher. Having married Ley Yeager in 1969, she also raised a family during those years.

In 1992, Ofelia was elected as the first Latina board member for the Riverside Unified School District. While in this role, she increased the school district’s outreach to Spanish-speaking families, thereby improving access, equity, and inclusion for Latino students. In her later years, this Chalkboard Champion also helped to raise $3 million to establish The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, which opened in June, 2022.

For her work in the community, Ofelia has earned many accolades. In 2016, she garnered both the UCR Distinguished Alumna of the Year and the UCR Alumna Service Award. In 2019, she garnered the Mission Inn Foundation’s Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award, and in 2022, she was named the Athena Award recipient.

Sadly, Ofelia passed away on Jan. 7, 2024, days before her 77th birthday.

PE teacher Sheila Peterson named 2024 North Dakota Teacher of the Year

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Middle school physical education teacher and athletics coach Sheila Peterson has been named North Dakota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Bismarck Public Schools

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Sheila Peterson, a physical education teacher from North Dakota. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Sheila teaches physical education, English, and reading strategies at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck, North Dakota. She also serves as an athletics coach for the school’s basketball, volleyball, and track teams. She has worked at Wachter since 2010.

The honored educator has also served as a professional development trainer for teachers across the state. And she has been a part of the North Dakota Society of Health and Physical Educators Board for the past two years. Her career as an educator spans 22 years.

Sheila urges her fellow educators to have high expectations for all of their students. “Give them opportunity, even when you know they might let you down sometimes,” she counseled. “Think about how you can impact their lives and empower them to believe in the beauty of their dreams,” she continued. “Make sure every student has a person who believes in them without doubt, and cares enough top hold them to high expectations,” she concluded.

Her honor as the North Dakota Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Sheila has earned. She was named Wachter Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2013, and the North Dakota Middle School Physical Educator of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.

Sheila earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education at the Dakota State University, Madison, in 2000. She earned her Master’s degree in Technology Education and Training from the University of South Dakota in 2006.

Teacher Justin Moreschi garners 2023 Teacher Achievement Award

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Elementary teacher Justin Moreschi has garnered a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award from the Kentucky State Department of Education. Photo credit: Klondike Elementary School

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Justin Moreschi, an elementary school teacher from Jefferson County, Kentucky. He has garnered a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award from the Kentucky State Department of Education.

Justin teaches science to students in grades four and five at Klondike Lane Elementary in Louisville. He also serves his school by advising Klondike’s Bluegrass Music Club and coaching the archery team. In a career that spans 16 years, he has been teaching at Klondike since 2007.

Justin chose science as his emphasis because, he says, he was exposed to the excitement of the subject as a child through his dad’s profession. “When I was a child, my father was an elephant trainer at the Louisville Zoo,” the honored educator reveals. “He instilled in me a love for animals at a very young age.” Once he graduated from college, he took a job at the same zoo where his father worked. Today, he shares his love for science by exposing his students to different animal species. “It is incredibly important for children to develop a nurturing sense of appreciation for animals to ensure their continued existence,” he asserts.

Now as an educator leader, Justin encourages his colleagues to hold on to what inspires them to teach. “The inspiration to teach has come to all of us in countless ways, events, and processes,” he declares. “Seizing this opportunity of teaching will change your life in ways you could never imagine,” he says.

Justin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Behavior Disorders from Bellarmine University. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from Indiana University Southeast. He completed the requirements for his Specialist in Education degree, Gifted Education and Talent Development, from Western Kentucky University.

 

NH educator Catherine Fiske advanced the cause of education for girls in early 19th-century America

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Catherine Fiske, an innovative educator from New England, advanced the cause of education for girls during the early 19th century. Photo credit: Public Domain

There are many outstanding educators who advanced the cause of education for girls in the early years of our nation’s history. One of these was Catherine Fiske, an innovative teacher from New England who taught in New Hampshire during the early 19th century.

Catherine was born on July 30, 1784, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Even at a young age, she was a voracious reader. She attended public schools in her home village, until her family relocated to Vermont when she was 12 years old.

Catherine inaugurated her career as a teacher when she was only 15 years old. She taught in public or district schools throughout Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. As a teacher, Catherine was well-liked in her schools for her integrity and dignity, but she was also stern and reserved, and she commanded respect. After demonstrating her exceptional skills with classroom management, she became a permanent teacher in Keene, New Hampshire.

In May, 1814, after a career as a teacher that had already spanned 15 years, Catherine purchased a building on a large farm in Keene, New Hampshire. There she established Miss Catherine Fiske’s Young Ladies Seminary. The school was the first of its kind in the state, and only the second like it in the country.

At her school, Catherine enrolled both day students and boarding scholars. At one time, she even opened a class of boys as day students. One year, between 80 and 100 students were enrolled. It has been estimated that more than 2,500 young people became her students over the 38 years the school was open.

With an enrollment so large, Catherine employed and supervised a staff of highly-qualified teachers to help her with instruction. She also ran the household and managed the farm, overseeing every detail. She did this even though her health was frail, and she was in pain much of the time.

Catherine was well-known for her acute business acumen. She charged $50 per term for each student. For younger students, this fee included instruction in reading, writing, English grammar, arithmetic, history, geography., and needle work. For older students, she included courses in politics, rhetoric, philosophy, theology, chemistry, botany, algebra, geometry, and Latin. For an additional fee, students could receive instruction in music, drawing, and painting.

Catherine Fiske passed away in 1837. She was only 53 years old. Following her death, a monument was erected to her memory in Keene.