This week is National School Counseling Week. Now, especially, is the time to focus attention on the unique and important contributions of school counselors. Learn more from the video below:
Category Archives: Education
Teachers launch lessons to celebrate Black History Month
This fabulous Black History Month classroom door decoration has gone viral on Facebook.
February is Black History Month, and teachers all over the nation are launching their lessons to celebrate this important cultural event. Part of the observance is visual presentations, like the one in this photo. This fabulous classroom door decoration has gone viral on Facebook. I don’t know who the imaginative teacher who created this is, but I know she is from the Brooklyn area. If you can identify her, let me know her name and school so I can give her a shout out!
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The amazing Laura Chang: Michigan’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year
Elementary teacher Laura Chang: Michigan’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year.
Michigan has announced elementary school teacher Laura Chang is the state’s Teacher of the Year for 2018. Laura, whose career as an educator has spanned 19 years, teaches at Sunset Lake Elementary in the Vicksburg Community School district in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. She currently teaches math and reading to kindergarten through fifth grade learners in an intervention setting.
Previously, Laura has taught pre-K, first/second grade multi-age, second grade, and third grade. In addition, she has worked as an instructional consultant and academic coach. She also serves as a mentor coach and district technology integration leader. And as if all this isn’t enough, she also teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Special Education and Literacy Studies Department at Western Michigan University.
Laura earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Education (1999) and her Master’s degree in Education (2004) from Western Michigan University located in Kalamazoo.
Laura has an obvious passion for her profession. “Teachers must have a passion for their work when they walk into a classroom each day,” asserts Laura. “I’m passionate about my students’ academic, behavior and socio-emotional growth and success,” she continues. “Our students look to their teachers for hope, for guidance, for encouragement, and for inspiration. What my students may not realize, though, is that those are the things that they give to me each day when I walk into my classroom,” she concludes.
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Honoring Carter Godwin Woodson, the founder of Black History Month
Celebrated educator Carter Godwin Woodson, the originator of Black History Month.
This month, teachers throughout the country are currently observing Black History Month, an annual celebration of the many important contributions African Americans have made to our country. But did you know that Black History Month, itself, was the brainchild of a brilliant American teacher?
Educator Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950) is credited with organizing and advocating annual Black History Month celebrations in American schools in 1926. Certainly this is an admirable accomplishment in and of itself, but there is so much more to learn about this outstanding educator. Did you know that, as a youngster, Carter was forced to work on the family farm rather than attend school? Nevertheless, he taught himself to read using the Bible and local newspapers. He didn’t finish high school until he was 20 years old. Did you know that he once worked as a coal miner in Fayette County, West Virginia, and then later went back there to teach school to the children of Black coal miners, serving as a personal role model for using education to get out of the mines? And did you know that Carter taught school in the Philippines, and then became the supervisor of schools, which included duties as a trainer of teachers, there?
To read more about this fascinating historical figure, check out the chapter I have written about him in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.
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Former NFL player Beau Almodobar now teaches PE, coaches football
Former NFL player Beau Almodobar now teaches junior high school physical education and coaches high school football.
There a numerous examples of talented athletes who go on to become coaches after their careers as professional players are complete. This is true of former NFL player Beau Almodobar, who went on to become a junior high school physical education teacher.
Beau was born born October 25, 1962, in San Francisco, California. As a college student, he played college football for the Norwich University Cadets. Norwich, also known as The Military College of Vermont, is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private military college in the United States. At 5’9″ and 180 pounds, Beau played the position of wide receiver for the Cadets. After he graduated from the university, he played one season with the New York Giants as a replacement player. That was in 1987.
Beau currently teaches physical education and health at Cyrus Pierce Middle School in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He has served as the Head Varsity Coach for basketball in the Nantucket Public School system, and also coaches football for the Nantucket High School Whalers. A well-rounded athlete, Beau also runs ACKventure summer camps for baseball and basketball for Nantucket youth.
Well done, Beau!
