Category Archives: Education

Florida science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence recognized as “exceptional educator”

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Elementary science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence of Orlando, Florida, is one of 22 educators who have been recognized by Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” Photo credit: Orlando Family Magazine

There are many outstanding educators teaching in public classrooms in Florida public schools. One of them is Jacqueline Lawrence, an elementary school science teacher from Orlando. She is one of 22 educators who have been recognized in a 2025 article published in Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” In addition, she was a 2025 finalist for a Teacher of the Year Award in the Orange County Public Schools’ Stellar Awards program.

Jacqueline teaches fifth graders at Rock Lake Elementary School. Her career as an educator spans 12 years. In her classroom, Jacqueline is known for her innovative teaching practices, including using Kagan Mind Mapping strategies, and she has a reputation for designing engaging hands-on labs. And her students have really responded to her efforts. In fact, her instructional strategies are so successful that she has achieved a remarkable 67% pass rate on a state science assessment in a classroom full of students who previously were struggling.

“I learned from a tender age that education is the key,” Jacqueline says. “Once you get education it takes you anywhere. And that’s what I believe in, and I try to install that in my students,” she continues.

In addition to her work as a science teacher, Jacqueline founded the Rock Lake Girls Running Club, a campus debate team, and a dance group. She also launched her school’s first yearbook publication. Additionally, as a mentor and a team leader, Jacqueline actively supports her colleagues, going above and beyond to ensure their success.

To read more about Jacqueline Lawrence and other Florida educators who have received recognition by the Orlando Family Magazine, click on this link to the article Exceptional Educators.

National memorial honors fallen educators

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Memorial to Fallen Educators

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Throughout American history, many educators and others who work in schools have perished in the line of duty. All too often, the news is filled with stories about these Chalkboard Champions who have suffered from accidents, acts of violence, or from the global coronavirus pandemic. Some lost their lives while protecting students. All of them are heroes. To recognize their sacrifices, the National Teachers Hall of Fame has constructed a permanent memorial to honor their memory.

The memorial, named the Memorial to Fallen Educators, is located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The monument, originally inspired by the 2012 mass shooting at Sandyhook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was officially dedicated on June 12, 2014. On April 30, 2018, a bill sponsored by United States Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and Kansas Representative Roger Marshall was signed into law that designated the memorial a national monument.

The structure measures 10′ by 10′, and is composed of black granite. Surrounding the monument is a walkway, benches, illumination, and landscaping. To date, approximately 180 teachers, administrators, and other school personnel are honored on the monument. “Their lives were cut short through accidents or intentional violence simply because they chose the profession of education,” remarked Carol Strickland, former Executive Director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, which oversees the memorial. “They lost their lives doing what they love—working with America’s schoolchildren.”

The earliest educator honored on the memorial is Pennsylvania teacher Enoch Brown, and is dated 1763. The teacher and nine of his students were murdered during hostilities between Native Americans led by Chief Pontiac who attacked settlers for a bounty promised by then Pennsylvania Governor John Penn.

You can visit the monument in person at 12 West 18th Ave, Emporia, Kansas 66801. You can also check out the online version of the memorial, click on this link: National Memorial to Fallen Educators.

Morgan Hahn selected Wyoming’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year

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High school Social Studies teacher Morgan Hahn of Lander, Wyoming, has been selected her state’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Wyoming State Department of Education

I always enjoy shining a spotlight on an outstanding public school teacher. Today, I highlight educator Morgan Hahn of Lander, Wyoming. She has been selected her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Morgan teaches Social Studies at Lander Valley High School in Fremont County School District #1. There she teaches courses in Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology, AP American History, World History 1, and American History. Lander is a small town located in the central part of the state and is inhabited by approximately 7,500 people.

In her classroom, Morgan says she believes in using every tool available to promote high levels of learning for every student. To achieve this, she has helped to develop artificial intelligence (AI) practices for students and staff within her district. In fact, she says, she views AI as a tool to enrich teaching practices, better serve students, and bridge gaps in learning opportunities.

Her selection as Wyoming’s State Teacher of the Year is not the only honor Morgan has earned. In 2021, she was named a James Madison Fellow. This prestigious honor is awarded to only one applicant per year for each state. The honor includes an award of $24,000 to each Fellow to be spent on graduate-level coursework that includes a concentration of courses on history and the principles of the United States Constitution. She also attended the James Madison Institute at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2021.

Morgan earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming. In 2023, she earned her Master’s degree in American History and Government with a specialization in teaching the Constitution from Ashland University.

To learn more about Morgan, click on the following link: CCSSO.

Teacher Margaret Hale: She taught on the banks of the Ohio River

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There are many outstanding educators who have taught in public schools in the United States. One of them was Margaret Hale, an elementary school teacher who taught in a one-room schoolhouse on the banks of the Ohio River, says History Avenue.

Margaret was a widow when she opened her school in the 1830’s, in an area and in a time when many people believed that education was wasted on the poor children of loggers, farmers, and ferrymen. Every morning, she rang the iron bell that signaled the start of the school day, and barefoot boys and girls arrived with their well-worn slates and books.

Margaret taught her lessons by firelight in the winter and by lamplight in the spring. She taught them not only reading and arithmetic, but also dignity—reminding every one of her students that they carried the same worth as the son of the richest person in the village.
In 1833, cholera swept through the region, so Margaret converted her schoolhouse into an infirmary, nursing both students and their families with herbal remedies and boundless energy.

Though she never married again, Margaret always said her students filled her life. Many grew up to be doctors, lawyers, ministers, and even politicians. They all credited Miss Hale with inspiring them to go on to distinguished careers.

Long after Margaret Hale passed away, the little schoolhouse remained, its bell preserved as a reminder of the woman who believed knowledge was freedom.

Source: The History Avenue, https://the-history-avenue.eu/