Category Archives: Education

Shauna Waters named Mississippi’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Shauna Waters of Collinsville, Mississippi, has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Shauna Waters

I am always excited to share the story of a public school teacher who has earned recognition for their work I the classroom. Today, I share the story of Shauna Waters, a high school teacher from Collinsville, Mississippi. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Shauna teaches Dual enrollment English Composition 1 and Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition at West Lauderdale High School in Collinsville. She also serves as her school’s Academic Team sponsor, newspaper advisor, and National Honor Society advisor. As if all that were not enough, she has served as a reader for the AP English Literature and Composition national exam in 2010, 2011, and 2014 – 2023.

In her classroom, Shauna says she seeks to ensure students build flexibility by developing 21st century skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

In addition to her work at West Lauderdale, Shauna has taught in the Intensive English Program at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and in the Aichi University’s Comparative Cultures Department in Toyohashi, Japan. 

Her selection as Mississippi’s 2025 Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Shauna has earned. She has been honored as a Mississippi STAR teacher seven times; a Yale Educator; and a US Presidential Scholar Distinguished Teacher. She is also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (DKG), a professional honor society of women educators.

Shauna earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Mississippi State University with a minor in Spanish. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Applied Linguistics from Indiana University. Currently, she is pursuing an educational specialist degree in educational leadership at William Carey University. She has been a teacher since 2001.
 

 

 

PA English teacher Ashlie Crosson named 2025 National Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to English teacher Ashlie Crosson of Mifflin County High School in Pennsylvania. She has been named the 2025 National Teacher of the Year!

Ashie earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Susquehanna University in 2011. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2015. In addition, she earned a Gifted Certificate from Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 2023.

The National Teacher of the Year Program is the most prestigious teacher recognition program in the country. Each year, the program provides a new group of State Teachers of the Year with professional learning and development experiences designed to increase each educator’s leadership skills while celebrating their talents and commitment as extraordinary teachers. From the group of State Teachers of the Year, one teacher is selected to be the National Teacher of the Year.

Here is an inspirational video about Ashlie for you to watch:

NYC elem teacher Valerie Facciola garners 2025 Big Apple Award

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New York City elementary school teacher Valerie Facciola has garnered a 2025 Big Apple Award. Photo credit: Linked In

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition for their work with students in public schools. Today, I shine a spotlight on Valerie Facciola, an elementary school teacher from New York City. She has garnered a 2025 Big Apple Award from the New York City Department of Eduction.

Valerie has worked as a professional educator for 18 the past years. Currently she teaches at PS 21, Margaret Emery School in Elm Park. In her classroom, Valerie places emphasis on developing engaging curriculum, celebrating diversity, and having fun while learning.

On her campus, Valerie helped launch a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) book club at her school. In this book club, she and her colleagues studied Cultivating Genius by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad. After studying the book, Valerie developed lesson plans, led professional development workshops for fellow educators, and presented virtually at a citywide professional development session hosted by Dr. Muhammad herself.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Valerie has contributed to her school’s overall growth through her leadership on several teams, including the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), the Assessment Team, the CR-SE team, and the campus Professional Learning Community. In addition, she recently completed the coursework for the School Building and District Leadership program.

Valerie earned her Bachelor’s degree in French and Business Administration from St. John’s University in New York in 2001. She earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Brooklyn College in 2007, and she earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership from the College of Saint Rose in Albany in 2023.

The Big Apple awards recognize the exemplary performance of public school teachers throughout New York City who inspire students, model great teaching, and enrich school communities. Nominees are nominated by district leaders and principals.

Actor Hugh Jackman of “Wolverine” fame once worked as a PE teacher

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Hugh Jackman has earned celebrity status for playing the role of Wolverine in the popular X-Men film series. But did you know that before he became an actor, he was a physical education teacher in England?

Hugh was born in Sydney, Australia, to parents who had immigrated to the Down Under from the United Kingdom. As a youngster, he attended public schools, where he sometimes participated in amateur theatrical productions, until his graduation from high school.

At first, Hugh toyed with the idea of become a journalist, and he enrolled at Sydney’s University of Technology. It was during his gap year in 1987 that Hugh accepted a position as a physical education teacher at Uppingham School, a public school located in Uppingham, England. At the conclusion of his teaching assignment, Hugh returned to Sydney, where he completed the requirements for his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Technology in 1991. By then, Hugh had been bitten by the acting bug, so he enrolled in “The Journey” at the Actors’ Centre in Sydney, where he completed a one-year course. Next he attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University located in Perth. There he earned a second degree in 1994.

As it turns out, the former teacher’s decision to change careers turned out to be a good one. His most celebrated role is as Wolverine in the X-Men movies, a character he played from 2000 to 2017. He was also cast in the lead role in the romantic comedy Kate & Leopold in 2001;  the popular musical Les Miserablesin 2012; the musical The Greatest Showman in 2017, and the political drama The Front Runner in 2018. In addition, he voiced roles in the animated films Happy Feet in 2006; Rise of the Guardians in 2012; and Missing Link in 2019.

Throughout his acting career, Hugh has earned many accolades. For his role as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, he was nominated for an Academy Award and he won a Golden Globe Award, and for his role in The Greatest Showman, he earned a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album. He has also garnered two Tony Awards.