Category Archives: Education

Mourning the loss of former math teacher Joseph Griffith

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Former junior high school math teacher Joseph Griffith was killed in the mass shooting in Midland and Odessa, Texas, on Sat., Aug. 31, 2019.

Once again the professional community is mourning the loss of a talented teacher. Former junior high school math teacher Joseph Griffith was among those killed in the mass shooting in Midland and Odessa, Texas, on Sat., Aug. 31, 2019.

Joseph was killed as he sat at a traffic light with his wife and two children, reports the teacher’s sister, Carla Byrne. She recalled that only a day before his death, one of his former students told the chalkboard champion what an “awesome teacher he was.” In his career as an educator, Joseph worked diligently to developed close bonds with his students, Carla asserted.

Kaitlyn King, one of Joseph’s former students, recalled being in his seventh-grade math class when she attended Goddard Junior High School in Midland more than a decade ago. Kaitlyn, who declares she is “not a math person,” had failed the state’s standardized test the previous year. Joseph’s patience, charisma, and dedication helped her improve her test scores. He really wanted his students to learn, she said. “He was a very funny teacher, (but) very serious at the same time,” Kaitlyn said. “He was good at explaining everything.”

Joseph’s sister described her brother as a man with a wonderful sense of humor, and that he possessed an unusual talent for impersonating anyone. But nothing, she said, was more important to him than his devotion to his wife and children. He worked six days a week to support them, she revealed.

Also killed in the random shootings was a high school student, 15-year-old Leilah Hernandez. She was shot as she and her older brother were leaving an automobile dealership with the keys to new truck he had just bought. The teacher and the student did not know each other. Five others were slain in the attack, while another 22 were wounded. Police killed the gunman.

To read more about Joseph, click on this link to the New York Post.

Suggest a remarkable educator to be a subject on Chalkboard Champions website

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Super Teacher!There are so many talented educators out there that by myself I cannot possibly find out about them all. How about some help? Do you know a remarkable teacher?Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, and administrators alike. Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire. You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post on this web site. Simply use the contact form at right to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate. I’ll do the rest! Hope to hear from you soon!

Jada Reeves: West Virginia’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary educator Jada Reeves from Mt. Hope, West Virginia, selected her state’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

We are truly fortunate that so many wonderful teachers work in public schools in every state of our union. One of these educators is Jada Reeves, a fifth-grade teacher from Mt. Hope, Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Jada earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. She earned her Master’s degree in Reading Specialist from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. In addition to her degrees, Jada became Nationally Board Certified in 2013.

In a career spanning 16 years, Jada currently teaches at Bradley Elementary School. She has taught at that school for the last three years. She also serves as an assistant coach for a local middle school.

“I could not possibly think of another profession that would be as inspiring as an educator,” confessed Jada. “I adore my students and am passionate about teaching. Knowing I will step into my classroom each morning and tackle the day together with my students is always an encouraging thought,” she says.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Jada participates in many educational committees. She serves on her school’s Local School Improvement Council and she is part of the Instructional Practices Inventory Team. She also serves on the Leadership and Wellness Committees. Also, she conducts training for Raleigh County’s Innovative Team.

And that’s not all Jada does. She works for the West Virginia Department of Education as an online facilitator and Lead Coordinator for the Southern West Virginia National Board Certification Cohort. She is actively involved in the planning committee for the West Virginia Division of Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching. And as if all that is not enough, this indefatigable educator contributes posts for the blog of the National Board for Professional Teaching, The Standard. In addition, she was recently appointed as a member of the Board of Directors for the Education Alliance.

Jada also volunteers on several community projects. She is an assistant Girl Scout troop leader and fosters rescue dogs from Operation Underdog.

For her work as an educator, Jada has garnered statewide recognition. She was named West Virginia State Teacher of the Year for 2019.

To read more about this amazing chalkboard champion, click on this link: West Virginia Education Association.

Original works by choir teacher Sheena Graham performed at the Obama White House

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Original works by choir teacher Sheena Graham from Bridgeport, Connecticut, performed at the Obama White House.

Our nation is fortunate to have many fine educators for the performing arts. One of them is Sheena Graham, a high school choir teacher from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her original musical compositions have been featured at the Obama White House!

Sheena teaches at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. She inaugurated her career as an educator in 1983. In a career that has spanned more than 36 years, Sheena has taught Black History Chorale, peer leadership, theater, piano, and performing arts. She has also served as an adviser for her school’s poetry club, coached cheerleading, softball, and drill team, and instructed a dance troupe.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Sheena leads workshops in music literacy, creates teaching tools for colleagues, and works as an accompanist for local choirs. She also teaches free piano and drama classes at the Hall Neighborhood House Academy of Music and Fine Arts.

Prior to her work as an educator, she wrote original musicals which earned national recognition. Two of her compositions were presented at the White House: “My Destiny” in 2014 and “It’s Not How You Start” in 2016. Her composition “We Can if We Believe” was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in 2018. The topics of her musicals include dealing with teen years, coping with tragedy, and not allowing negative life circumstances to define a person’s destiny.

Sheena says her determination to become a choir teacher stemmed from childhood events. She was born with a speech impediment. As a result, she told one interviewer, she did not interact well with others. In fourth grade, an aunt signed her up for music lessons, thinking it might help. “It gave me a whole new world where I could feel safe and comfortable,” Sheena revealed. “I was more social.” As a teacher, Sheena has spent her entire career trying to ensure her students feel that same sense of safety, community, and kindness in her classroom.

For her work as an educator, Sheena has earned many accolades. She was featured in the book, “Notable Valley African Americans.” She received the Beard Excellence in Teaching Award, the Choral Director of Distinction Award, the National Association of Negro Business Professional Women Teacher of the Year Award, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Teacher of the Year Award. She was also named the 1995 Bridgeport Public Schools Teacher of the Year and 2019 Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Sheena earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from St. Joseph’s College.

To learn more about this chalkboard champion, click on this link from the Connecticut Post: CCSSO.

Pennsylvania history teacher Jennifer Wahl: She shares a passion for travel

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High school social studies teacher Jennifer Wahl teaches a love for travel. The talented educator earned recognition as the 2018 Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year.

I love to write about talented educators who share their passions with their students. One of these is Jennifer Wahl, a high school history teacher from Pennsylvania. In her classroom in a small-town school, she shares her monumental love for international travel.

Jennifer has been teaching at Loyalsock Township High School in Lycoming County since 2006. There she teaches courses in history, psychology, and sociology. She also teaches courses at the Pennsylvania State College. Her career as an educator has spanned the last 13 years.

Jennifer is originally from New York City, but she spent much of her childhood overseas with her mother, who is from the Middle East. The young teacher’s love of travel has only expanded since she has become an educator. Jennifer has been involved in numerous professional development opportunities that have taken her to some pretty amazing places. She was chosen by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia to travel to China for a two-week study tour In 2011. The following year, the Japan Society chose her to travel to Japan to attend a three-week study tour. In 2013, she studied restorative justice and teaching for Peace in Delhi, India, at the International School for Jain Studies.

Jennifer is eager to share her love of travel with her students. She uses pictures, artifacts, and food to bring history alive for her students, some of whom have grown up to share her love of world travel. “I’m happy for those students that they got out of a small-town environment to see the world and then brought it back here,” Jennifer declares. “I love that they broadened their horizons.”

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jennifer belongs to a number of professional organizations. She is a member of The Japan Society, the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, the International School for Jain Studies, the College Board, the National and State Teacher of the Year Pennsylvania Chapter, and the Pennsylvania State Education Association. She is also an active member of her union and served as the vice president and member of the negotiations committee of her local chapter.

Jennifer earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Cabrini University located in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Pennsylvania State University. For her work in the classroom, Jennifer was named the 2018 Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year.

To learn more about this accomplished chalkboard champion, visit this link: CCSSO.