Category Archives: Education

Maine’s Cynthia Soule named her state’s Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Cynthia Soule has been named Maine’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: University of Southern Maine.

I always enjoy sharing stories about educators who have earned recognition for their exceptional work in the classroom. One of these is Cynthia Soule, an elementary school teacher from Maine. She has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Cynthia teaches fourth grade at the Gerald E. Talbot Community School in Portland, Maine. In a career that has spanned 21 years, this Chalkboard Champion has worked with many of her community’s most diverse students. She has a reputation for fostering a dynamic learning environment, employing real-world projects that require observation, questioning, and collaborative thinking. She empowers her students to see themselves as meaningful contributors to their community. In her curriculum, she also emphasizes an appreciation for the natural world.

To enrich student learning, Cynthia has established partnerships with community organizations such as Bangor Savings Bank, Side X Side, Maine Audubon, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. She is also a 2020 Funds for Teachers Fellow, and she is a recipient of Portland Education Foundation, TD Bank and DonorsChoose grants.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Cynthia serves as a representative on the Portland Schools Literacy Committee, the Talbot Leadership Team, the Building Steering Committee, the Response to Intervention Team, and the Science Team.

Cynthia’s recognition as Maine’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, is impressive. She has also been named the 2020 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, and she has been nominated as a candidate for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Cynthia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maine at Orono. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Southern Maine.

To read more about Cynthia, see this profile of her published by CCSSO Teacher of the Year.

Mary Helen Garcia: Educator and member, New Mexico House of Reps

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Former educator Mary Helen Garcia also served in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Photo credit: Ballotpedia.

There are many examples of fine classroom teachers who also become successful politicians. One of these is Mary Helen Garcia, an elementary school teacher and principal from New Mexico, who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Mary Helen was born on July 14, 1937, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1960 and her Master’s degree in 1976, both from New Mexico University.

Mary Helen worked as a teacher first at Gadsden Public Schools, where she was employed from 1960 to 1961. From 1967 to 1992 she taught in Las Cruces Public Schools. She served as the Directory of Instruction for Las Cruces schools from 1993 to 1999. She also served as an elementary school principal in Las Cruces from 1984 to 1993, and from 1999. She is now retired from the teaching profession.

In 1996, this hardworking educator was elected on the Democratic ticket to serve in her state’s House of Representatives. She represented District 34 there from 1997 to 2015. While in the House, Mary Helen was the Chairwoman for the Committee on Voters and Elections; a member of the Appropriations and Finance Committee; and a member of the Committees for Education and Business and Industry. She has also served as the Chair of the New Mexico District Democratic Party from 1997 to the present time.

In addition to her professional and political responsibilities, Mary Helen is a member of the National Education Association, the International Association of Reading, the Association of Curriculum and Instruction, the Dona Ana Arts Council, and the Pan American Round Table.

To learn more about this amazing educator, see the article about her published on Ballotpedia.

 

Covid-19 claims life of Florida teacher Carol Zuckerman

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Sadly, Covid-19 has claimed the life of beloved first grade teacher Carol Zuckerman of Waterway K-8 School in Dade County, Florida. Photo credit: Dignity Memorial.

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Carol Zuckerman, a first grade teacher from Dade County, Florida, succumbed to the disease on March 5, 2021.

Carol was born on August 21, 1964, in Great Neck, New York. As a young woman, she earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration. For several years she lived in Paris, France. Later, she resided in California, where she was employed at a talent agency. She also lived in Maryland before relocating to Florida.

Even though her degree was in business, Carol was obviously born to be a teacher. “She loved kids and wanted them to feel special,” remembered her brother, Charles Zuckerman. “Teaching was a very satisfying career for her.”

In 2007, Carol accepted a position at Waterway K8 Center in the Adventura School District in Dade County. She taught there for 14 years, and at the time of her passing, she was teaching first grade. The beloved teacher will be sorely missed.

“Mrs. Z. was my son’s teacher this year,” recalled parent Jenya Feldbeyn-Ninaquispe. “Even though we had a rough start virtually, when we went in person learning I found out what an amazing teacher Ms. Zuckerman was. My son would always come home and share stories about what she told him about history,” Feldbeyn-Ninaquispe continued. “She truly cared about our kids, especially their feelings. One of our last texts with Mrs. Zuckerman was about how much my son enjoyed her class,” the parent concluded.

Other parents agree. “Our daughter was her first grade student last year. We greatly appreciated her resourcefulness, respectfulness, and kind understanding,” wrote on appreciative parent on Carol’s Dignity Memorial obituary. “She did her best to make learning math, science, and social studies fun both at school and during COVID 2020 distance learning. Our child learned a lot from her passionate teaching and relevant assignments,” the parent concluded.

Carol died March 5, 2021. She was 56 years old. To read her obituary, click on this link to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

David Benioff: Author, director, and former English teacher

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Author, screenwriter, producer, and director David Benioff was once a high school English teacher. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times.

Many avid readers may be familiar with the blockbuster book City of Thieves by David Benioff. But did you know the author was a former English teacher? This talented educator has made his mark as a consummate novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. He is perhaps best known as the co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones.

David was born on September 25, 1970, in New York City. As a young boy, David gravitated to all things literary, fancying comic books and classic far-flung fantasy such as Homer’s Iliad and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. His imagination was supplemented by an affinity for playing the video game Dungeons & Dragons.

David, who changed his surname to his mother’s maiden name of Benioff while in his teens, graduated from the exclusive New York City secondary school called The Collegiate School. He then enrolled at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1992. David earned his a Master’s degree at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, writing his thesis on Samual Beckett.

After he graduated form college, David worked at various jobs, including a stint as a club bouncer, a radio disc jockey, and a high school English teacher at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York, where he also served as the school’s wrestling coach. In 1999, David returned to school, completing the requirements for a second Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of California, Irvine, in 1999.

While working as a high school English teacher, David wrote his first book called The 25th Hour, which earned him many accolades. He later adapted the book into a screenplay, which was made into a film directed by Spike Lee and starring Edward Norton. In 2004, David then wrote a collection of short stories titled When the Nines Roll Over (And Other Stories) and a screenplay about the Greek myth Troy which earned him $2.5 million from Warner Brothers pictures. That same year, he was hired to write the screenplay for the X-Men spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The following year, David wrote the script for the psychological thriller Stay, which was adapted into a film directed by Marc Forster and starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. His 2007 screenplay for The Kite Runner, adapted from the novel of the same name, marked his second collaboration with director Marc Forster. In 2008, David’s second novel, City of Thieves, was published. He is currently working on an adapted screenplay of the Charles R. Cross biography of Kurt Cobain. He is also working with D.B. Weiss as the executive producer of Game of Thrones, HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, which David read and enjoyed as a teen.

David’s work in Hollywood has earned several awards. He has won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

To read more about this talented former teacher, see this interview of him published by Metro News in 2009.

Terry Lee Marzell’s books added to prestigious library collections

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Author Terry Lee Marzell is excited to learn that both of her books have been added to the collections of prestigious university libraris. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell.

I always get excited when I learn that one of my books has been added to the collection of a prestigious university library. A search of WorldCat reveals that both of my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes, have been added to the collections of prestigious university libraries.

My first book, Chalkboard Champions (2012), part of the collection of the libraries at the University of Arizona, Tucson; University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii; the City University of New York in New York, New York; and Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. The volume is also part of the collection of the libraries of Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the State University of New York in Oswego, New York. The book is also available at Hunter College in New York, New York; Queensborough Community College Library in Bayside, New York; Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts; and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. In addition, it is also part of the collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Chalkboard Heroes (2015) has been added to the collections of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California; Chadron State University in Chadron, Nebraska; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the University of Chicago Library in Chicago, Illinois. The volume can also be found in the Alaska State Library in Juneau, Alaska; Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana; and Central Connecticut State Library in New Britain, Connecticut.

Many thanks to all these university libraries for honoring my work!