Category Archives: Education

NJ educator Christine Lim garners Princeton Prize

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Congratulations to Christine Lim of Pennsauken, New Jersey. She has been named a recipient of the Princeton University Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching. Photo credit: Christine Lim.

Congratulations to Christine Lim of Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, New Jersey, who has been named a recipient of the Princeton University Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching.

Christine teaches Advanced Placement Literature, Composition, Honors, and SAT Prep at Pennsauken. Her career there has spanned 12 years. In her classroom, Christine practices the philosophy Kaizen, a Japanese word meaning “continuous improvement.” In doing so, she promotes a culture of self-growth in her 9th and 10th grade English classes. To accomplish this, her students actively engage in Socratic Seminars, writing spoken word poetry, and book club study. Through these activities, says Christine, she creates a family atmosphere in her classroom.

Since Christine expects continuous improvement from her students, she also expects the same from herself, says Caroline Steer, Curriculum Supervisor at the Pennsauken School District. “As a result, Mrs. Lim is the finest example to her peers as not only an education leader, but as a kind and thoughtful human,” Steer continued. “Mrs. Lim takes her responsibility as an educator to the next level.”

Daily mood check-ins and weekly evaluations enable Christine to tune in to her students’ emotional well-being, though many are fully remote learners. To reflect upon their successes and their struggles, students write Anything Journals as a validation of their unique stories.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Christine is the adviser for the Asian Student Association. In this capacity, she organizes the annual Lunar New Year celebration and an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month assembly, among many other social, cultural, and charitable events.

Christine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and English, maxima cum laude, from LaSalle University in 2007.

 

Illinois’ Ola “Madge” Miller Green: Teacher, author, and politician

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Ola “Madge” Miller Green: Educator, author, and political. Photo credit: Findagrave.com

Many dedicated educators also make excellent authors and fine politicians. One of these was Ola “Madge” Miller Green, an Illinois school teacher who published an important school textbook and who also served her community in the Illinois Senate.

Ola was born on April 19, 1900, in Palestine, Crawford County, Illinois. As a youngster, she attended public schools in her home town. Once she graduated from high school, she earned her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Education from Indiana State University in Terra Haute.

Once she completed her education, Ola accepted a position as a school teacher in a public school in Palestine. Later she taught in Richmond, Indiana. While working as a teacher, Ola authored the book Through the Years in Indiana, published in 1954. The volume was widely used as a textbook in Indiana schools.

When Ola’s husband, Herschel S. Green, an Illinois State Senator, passed away in office in 1962, the veteran school teacher was appointed to serve the remainder of his term. Later she was elected on her own merit on the Republican ticket to a full term in the Senate. She served until 1965. Once she left office, Ola served as the postmistress for the Illinois Senate.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away December 11, 1989, in Springfield, Illinois. She was 89 years old. Her remains are interred at Hutsonville Cemetery in Hutsonville, Illinois. To read more about Ola “Madge” Miller Green, see her obituary published by Findagrave.

Spanish teacher and TikTok sensation Dr. Trevor Boffone

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Often dedicated classroom teachers will do anything to motivate their students. Here’s one who hip-hop dances with them: Dr. Trevor Boffone, a Spanish teacher at Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas. He has more than 300,000 followers on Instagram – all because of his viral videos in the classroom. Dr. Boffone wanted a way to connect with his students and asked them to teach him some dance moves like the ones he viewed on Dubsmash and TikTok. In just six weeks, he racked up 50,000 followers. Now he has millions of views and followers around the country! Dr. Boffone says he’s not afraid to dance like no one’s watching, but he knows plenty of people are. Watch him with his students in the 4:21 minute video below. Enjoy!

 

Kansas Special Ed teacher Juan Yanez succumbs to Covid-19

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Special Education teacher Juan Yanez of Derby, Kansas, succumbed to Covid-19 in Feb., 2021. Photo credit: Derby Informer.

Sadly we report the passing of yet another beloved educator who has succumbed to Covid-19. Juan Yanez, a Special Education teacher in Derby, Kansas, succumbed to the disease in February, 2021.

For nine years, the beloved educator had been a teacher at Oaklawn Elementary School in the Derby Pubic School District located in Wichita, Kansas. Previously he had taught at Wineteer Elementary and Pleasantview Elementary.

Colleague Joe Addis described Juan as someone who “definitely, really cared about kids. That really showed in everything that he did,” Addis said. “He just worked hard to build connections with the students that he worked with. That was something that always really impressed me about him,” Addis remembered. He said also observed Juan’s teaching style, commenting that the fallen educator used his sense of humor and his genuine passion to make connections with students. “He did a lot of really good incentive work, I thought, with students to really help them be encouraged to come to the room and give their best, Addis concluded.

Juan’s compassion for youngsters with special needs extended to adults with special needs as well. In early March, 2020, before the pandemic caused nationwide shut-downs, Juan and fellow Special Education teacher Jennifer Nulik organized a community service project at Pleasantview Elementary School. The project was designed to provide employment resources and opportunities for special needs students and adults. The project was part of Juan’s course work in his Master’s program at Wichita State University. The effort resulted n the First Annual Tri-County Career/Resources Fair. To read more about the event, see this article published by the Derby Informer.

Ruth Q. DePrida worked tirelessly for retired California educators

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Retired teacher and principal Ruth Q. DePrida worked tirelessly for the benefit of retired educators and others in the state of California. Photo credit: Find A Grave.

There are many Chalkboard Champions who work tirelessly for the benefit of their colleagues. One of these was Ruth Q. DePrida, a retired teacher and principal who threw her considerable energy into improving retirement benefits for her fellow California educators.

Ruth DePrida was born and raised in Southern California. As a young woman, she attended UCLA, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in education. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from USC.

Once she earned her degrees, Ruth accepted a position as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She taught for 13 years, and then was promoted to the position of elementary principal, where she served another 23 years as the head of both the Rosewood Ave. Schools and third Street Schools..

After Ruth retired from the teaching profession, she became dedicated towards improving the lives of retired teachers. She became active in California Retired Teachers Association. In 1981, she was appointed to Chair the State Legislation Committee, a position she held until 1996. While serving on this body, she worked toward guaranteed purchasing power protection for retirees, and she advocated for the Elder Full Funding Act and the Desert Protection Act. During her term, the Elk Hills Petroleum Reserve agreement was developed. The state wanted to put the funds gained from this agreement into the general fund, but Ruth worked to see that those profits were designated for retired teachers in the Supplemental Benefit Maintenance Account instead. In 1984, Governor George Deukmajian appointed Ruth was appointed to the State Teachers’ Retirement Board, where she served until 1996. She brought to the Board the perspective a system retiree.

All throughout her life, Ruth was a tireless worker for the welfare of all, including children and seniors. She spent 50 years lobbying for children’s hospitals, schools, teachers, and retried teachers. She also became interested in the cause of nursing home reform based on her own difficulties in finding adequate care for her own family members and friends.

To learn more about Ruth Q. DePrida, see this obituary published by the Los Angeles Times.