Category Archives: Education

Kristi Reinke named North Dakota’s 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to Kristi Reinke, a social studies teacher at Jim Hill Middle School in Minot, North Dakota, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Minot Daily News.

Congratulations are due to educator Kristi Reinke, a middle school social studies teacher from North Dakota, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Kristi teaches geography and Social Studies to seventh graders at Jim Hill Middle School in Minot, North Dakota. In a career spanning 16 years, she has taught 15 of them at Jim Hill. In all, she has spent seven years of her career in special education and seven years in general education. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as an education support professional working with at-risk students.

Kristi is well-respected among her students. “She’s really opened my eyes to wanting to learn more,” remarked student Erin McLean. “School is not the most favorite thing for people, but she made it one of my favorite classes,” she said. And the inspiration the honored teacher generates goes beyond her students. “She keeps me young and innovated,” declares colleague Pete Sternberg. “She’s always doing new things. One of the things that I want to do, that she does regularly, is skyping people from all over the world,” he continued. Principal Mike Arlien agrees. “Her unbridled compassion and enthusiasm in the classroom is what makes the magic happen. You just can’t fake that,” he remarked.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Kristi is involved in school leadership, the Superintendent Advisory Committee, and the Minot Public Schools Safety Committee. She is also a student council advisor. And, as if all that were not enough, she is active in her local teachers’ union. She serves as an executive officer of the Minot Education Association and is an active member of North Dakota United.

her current honor is not the only one Kristi has earned. For her outstanding work on behalf of students and teachers, Kristi was named the 2019-2020 Minot Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Kristi earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, a second Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, and her Master’s degree in Special Education, all at Minot State University.

Teacher Carlton Jenkins previously served in US Army

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Carlton Jenkins, a sixth-grade history teacher from Woodbridge, Virginia, served as a helicopter pilot in the US Army prior to becoming an educator. Photo credit: US Army Troops to Teachers.

Many fine educators have also served their country in the military. One of these is Carlton Jenkins, a sixth-grade history teacher from Woodbridge, Virginia, who previously served in the United States Army.

While in the military, Carlton flew a helicopter and worked as a helicopter pilot instructor. “It was there that I gained a passion for teaching and helping others to achieve their goals,” claims Carlton. “I have also had the opportunity to travel extensively and live in other countries, which has helped me grow as a person and learn more about the world around us,” he says. After he retired from the military, Carlton cast his eyes about for another way to serve his country. He found it in the classroom.

Since 2013, Carlton has taught sixth-grade American history at Lake Ridge Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia. It was the Troops to Teachers program that helped him make the transition from uniformed pilot to grade school history teacher. “Troops to Teachers … gave me the opportunity to use the leadership skills, knowledge, and experience I learned and developed in the Army to help me have a positive effect on today’s students,” Jenkins says. “For those seeking a second career in education as a teacher, the Troops to Teachers program will help get you there,” he advises.

Carlton says his success as a teacher depends first on him setting a framework of rules and expectations. “A teacher must establish his or her expectations with rules,” he asserts. “I have only three rules: respect one another, follow the Golden Rule, and only one person speaks at a time in class,” he reveals.

To read more about Carlton, see this story published by the US Army.

Veteran and educator Darren Rainey is devoted to students

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US  veteran and educator Darren Rainey taught high school Language Arts in Delaware after he left the military. He continues to make his mark on the field of education. Photo credit: Teach for America

There are many fine educators who came to the classroom after serving our country in the military. One of these is Darren Rainey, a Language Arts teacher and Athletic Director in Wilmington, Delaware.

Darren deployed with the 4th Squadron, 9th US Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division to Afghanistan in 2013 and to the Republic of Korea in 2015. “I learned some of my toughest leadership lessons through deployments, rotations, and training exercises in this unit,” says Darren. “It was here where I learned the importance of leading through relationships and respecting an individual’s unique experiences.”

When Darren concluded his military career In 2017, he decided to become an educator. He served as the Athletic Director Director and taught Language Arts at the 8th, 9th, and 11th grade level at Freire Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware. “In the classroom, nothing is more rewarding than when a student has that ‘ah-ha’ moment during a lesson or when a kid who is usually quiet has that breakout moment in a class discussion,” asserts Darren.

Currently, Darren serves as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. He also works as an Adjunct Professor on the Delaware campus of  the Relay Graduate School of Education. In addition, he serves as an Impact Leader with Profound Gentlemen, Inc., an organization that builds communities of male educators of color who provide a profound additional impact on the communities they serve.

Darren was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Hampton University for his undergraduate studies and earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education.

To learn more about Darren, click on this link to an article he wrote published by Teach for America.

 

Teacher, judge, author, and veteran Robert Gustaveson

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Former teacher and Korean Conflict veteran Robert Gustaveson was also  an exemplary judge and a successful author. Photo credit: Russon Mortuary and Crematory.

I always feel privileged to share stories about individuals who have served as dedicated classroom teachers that have also served our country as veterans. One of these was Robert Gustaveson, a former middle school teacher who also served in the United States Air Force.

Robert was born on February 3, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. He was raised there until his family relocated to Hyrum, Utah. A young man of strong religious beliefs, after his high school graduation he returned to California to complete a mission for the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Once he returned from his mission, Robert completed the requirements for his Bachelor’s degree and then his Master’s degree, both from Utah State University.

During the Korean Conflict, Robert served as an officer in the United States Air Force. He was assigned to the 5th Air Force 67th Tactical Recognizance Wing in Kimpo. His heroism there earned Robert three battle stars.

Once he completed his military service, Robert accepted a teaching position at a middle school in Salt Lake City, Utah. While working as an educator there, he met and married his wife, Julia.

After a period of time, Robert decided to shift from a career in education to a career in law. He attended law school at the University of Utah, and once he earned his Juris Doctorate, Robert and Julia returned to California, settling in the area of Pomona and Claremont. The former teacher was elected City Attorney in Pomona, and in 1973, he became a Superior Court Judge for Los Angeles County. He also served as a Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles County Municipal courts.

After his retirement in 2003, Robert continued to serve as a judge on assignment. He also authored and published seven novels. In addition, he was a prolific artist, and enjoyed sketching, painting, and drawing cartoons.

Sadly, this Renaisance man passed away on Nov. 2, 2021, of congestive heart failure. He was 93 years old. He was laid to rest at the Hyrum City Cemetery.

VA Social Studies teacher and veteran Jimmy Kimbrough

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Virginia Social Studies teacher Jimmy Kimbrough previously served his country as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army. Photo credit: Troops to Teachers.

Some of the best educators in the classroom are those who previously served in the US military. One of these is Jimmy Kimbrough, a Social Studies teacher in Hampton, Virginia.

Jimmy spent his military career as a Lt. Colonel in the US Army. Through the military, the experienced soldier had his first experience as a teacher. From 2004 to 2007, he served as an instructor at the Armored Captains Career Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. At the end of his career, he served as a professor of Military Science at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

After completing his career in the Army, Jimmy decided he wanted to become a teacher for younger students. “I wanted to help young adults better prepare themselves for the challenges they will face upon graduation,” he recalls. “Over my life, I have benefited from the investment of time and effort by many teachers and mentors. I wanted to pay that forward,” he reveals. After training in the Troops to Teachers program, Jimmy accepted a position as a social studies teacher at Kecoughtan High School in Hampson, Virginia.

Jimmy believes a good teacher must be patient, caring, and passionate about learning. In addition, a teacher must possess a willingness to help students understand the classroom content. And in addition to that, he asserts, a teacher should adjust their styles to the needs of their students.

As a result of his classroom experience, Jimmy says he was surprised to learn that not all students are motivated by grades. “Students respond to positive comments, public praise, and a pat on the back,” he observes. “When I tell them that I am proud of them, that motivates them to try and do better.”

Jimmy earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Affairs from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1995. In 2007, he earned his first Master’s degree in Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Managements from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He earned his second Master’s degree in Airpower and Space Studies from Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in 2008.