Category Archives: Education

Award-winning author Jacqueline Jules also works as a school librarian

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Virginia school librarian and teacher Jacqueline Jules has earned acclaim as an author of children’s books. Photo Credit: Jacqueline Jules

There are many excellent educators who have earned success in endeavors outside of the classroom. This is true of Jacqueline Jules, a school librarian and teacher from Virginia who has has earned acclaim as an author of children’s books.

Jacqueline was born in 1956 in Petersburg, Virginia. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree with a major in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2001 she earned her Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Maryland.

Currently, Jacqueline works as a school librarian at Timber Lane Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. She also works as a storyteller and as a guest speaker at schools. She has also taught religious school, led Tot Shabbat services, and has experience as a writing resource teacher. Her career as an educator has spanned a total of 28 years. She credits these experiences with her success as an author. “It actually wasn’t until I became a school librarian that I had enough ideas for writing children’s books,” Jacqueline confesses. “My years as a librarian fueled my writing rather than stalled it. Working in a school taught me what children enjoy and what was missing from library shelves,” she continued. “I could never do the writing I do now without having been a teacher,” she concludes.

Jacqueline’s work has appeared in over 100 publications. She has authored more than 50 children’s books, including The Grey Striped Shirt; Once upon a Shabbos; the Zapato Power series; the Sofia Martinez series; Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation; Duck for Turkey Day; Never Say a Mean Word Again; Feathers for Peacock; The Hardest Wor; and Pluto is Peeved. Also a poet, Jacqueline is the author of Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence.

For her work as a children’s author, Jacqueline has earned many accolades. She garnered the Arlington Arts Moving Words Contest twice, in 1999 and again in 2007. In 2009, she earned the SCBWI Magazine Merit Plaque for Poetry, and 2008, she received the Best Original Poetry Award from the Catholic Press Association. She has also garnered a citation for Notable Books for Young Readers from the Association of Jewish Libraries in 2002, and that same year she was named a National Jewish Book Award finalist.

To learn more about this amazing educator and author, visit www.jacquelinejules.com.

Jerad Koepp of Washington named his state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations are due to History and Social Studies teacher Jerad Koepp of Washington, who has been named his state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.  Photo Credit: North Thurston Public Schools

Congratulations are due to History and Social Studies teacher Jerad Koepp of Washington, who has been named his state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Jerad, a Native American who is also known by the name of Wukchumni, has been a teacher of Native American education for over 12 years. Since 2013 he has served as the Native student program specialist for North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Washington. In this role, he provides cultural and academic support for approximately 230 Native American students from more than 50 tribes, nations, bands, and villages enrolled in the 22 schools within the district. His students can be found at all grade levels from kindergarten to high school seniors, and in schools throughout the district. “My classroom is indoors, outdoors, in a commons or cafeteria, sometimes a library,” Jerad says. “My classroom is wherever learning is happening.”

In addition to his work in the classroom, Jerad serves as the district’s tribal liaison. He also provides training and support for colleagues, designing, leading, and presenting numerous workshops to help create culturally-responsive programs for school districts, state agencies, organizations, and institutions of higher education. He obviously takes the work he does for area Native Americans very seriously. “Public education still has a long ways to go, but in Washington state we’ve been making steady progress,” declares Jerad. “Especially with the implementation of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum, which is a statewide mandate to teach tribal history and sovereignty in our education system,” he explained. “It’s a great resource that’s been approved by all 29 tribes.”

Jerad earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2004 in Native Education in 2004 and his Master’s degree specializing in Native Education in 2008, both from Evergreen State College located in Olympia, Washington.

 

Terry Lee Marzell’s story about her experiences at the Dead Sea published on popular travel website

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Like many educators, both currently working and retired, I have always enjoyed travel to intriguing and historic points of interest, both here at home and abroad. Because I was a child from an impoverished family, I thought traveling was something only rich people could do. I never thought I would ever be able to afford to go to any of the phenomenal places I was learning about in school. How frustrated I have been these past two years when, even though I finally have the time and the money, I was stuck at home because of the global pandemic. I know that many educators all over the world have shared this frustration. Now that travel opportunities have finally opened up, I feel very fortunate to have been able—at last—to take that long-postponed tour of Israel and Jordan.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell and her husband Hal Marzell enjoyed two visits to the Dead Sea on a recent tour of Israel and Jordan. The story she wrote about her experiences there has been published on the popular website for travelers We Said Go Travel. Feel free to check it out! Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell.

I’ve already published a couple of posts about my travels to the Middle East here on this website, but I have also written an essay called “Second Chances: Two Visits to the Dead Sea” which not only describes my experiences there, but also reveals an important life lesson. I’m very excited to announce that this piece has just been published on the very popular website for travelers We Said Go Travel.

The website was established by science educator Lisa Ellen Niver, a talented and passionate writer, social media ninja, teacher, public speaker, and global citizen who has traveled to over 100 countries and six continents. You might find her underwater, traveling to an exotic location, teaching in the classroom, or in print, as she shares her insights about social media, science education, lifelong learning, books, and travel.

Check out my newly-published article and the other resources available on Lisa Niver’s website at this link: We Said Go Travel. Enjoy!

Brittany Brown recognized as one of five finalists for Florida’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Brittany Brown, an elementary school teacher from Florida, has been recognized in her state as one of five finalists for the state Teacher of the Year in 2021. Photo Credit: spirit.saintleo.edu

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who serve as role models for exemplary teaching. One of these is Brittany Brown, an elementary school teacher from Florida who has been recognized in her state as one of five finalists for the state Teacher of the Year in 2021.

Brittany teaches third and fourth grade English language arts at Wildwood Elementary School in Sumter County. Her co-workers describe her as passionate about supporting her students academically through the positive relationships she has built with each of them. In addition, she established the Reading Superstars program to recognize students who have made outstanding gains in reading. Brittany serves as the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) site member for her school, and also as their English/Language Arts representative to the District.

The honored educator says she emphasizes reading skills in her classroom instruction. “Reading is—and I tell my kids—reading is the way it’s your way out of any situation. You have to be able to read and comprehend in order to be successful,” Brittany asserts. “It’s one of those things that many kids don’t like. Unfortunately, they aren’t really exposed to reading at early ages. And so it’s just something that they have to learn to love to do,” she continues. “And so I feel like my job is to help them foster that love for reading, like make them feel like it’s just something that’s just super cool, something they need to do. But I think is really important,” she concludes.

Brittany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Family and Community Services in 2011 from the University of Florida and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2015 from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida.

This year’s five 2022 Teacher of the Year state finalists were selected from over 185,000 excellent public school teachers throughout Florida. The other four finalists were Jim Schmitt of Duval County, Sarah Ann Painter of Pinellas County, Kari Johnson of Sarasota County, and Frank Garaitonandia of Volusia County. The 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year will be officially named on July 22 in Orlando.

Maine’s Michele “Mickie” Flores garners prestigious PAEMST award

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Michele “Mickie” Flores, a middle school STEM teacher from Maine, has earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Photo Credit: PAEMST

Many fine STEM educators have earned recognition for their work in the teaching profession. One of these is Michele Flores of Maine, who has garnered a prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Michele, who prefers to be called “Mickie,” has been a science educator since 1985. She has taught at all levels, including elementary, middle school, and high school. For the past 11 years, she has taught fifth graders through seventh graders at Deer-Isle Stonington Elementary School located in Deer Isle, Maine. Prior to that assignment, she taught chemistry at H.C. Williams High School for six years, middle level science at JM McKenney Middle School for 15 years, and five years at Immaculate Conception School. She also taught courses in science methods at the State University of New York at Potsdam.

As a teacher, Mickie has a reputation for creating a very innovative and collaborative curriculum. For example, during the 2020-2021 school year, her fifth and sixth graders monitored how birds used the bird feeder located on the school’s nature trail. They estimated cloud cover, recorded bird activity, graphed their data, and published their conclusions online. That same year, Mickie’s sixth and seventh grade students studied climate change in collaboration with students in both San Diego, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Together, they created an 80-page comic book on the subject. The students even interviewed local scientists as well as a comic book illustrator and produced graphic nonfiction comics from their interviews. The honored teacher explained that theiir goal was to have a voice in educating the public about the causes, effects, and solutions to the current climate crisis.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Mickie serves on the Teacher Advisory Group for the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. She also serves on the Hancock County Teaching Collaborative of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. As a result of the work done by the Collaborative, the Institute garnered a grant from Rethinking Remote Education Ventures to create an accessible boardwalk and outdoor classroom for Deer Isle School’s nature trail.

Mickie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Services in 1975 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She earned her Master’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching in 1980 from Elmira College in Elmira, New York.