Category Archives: Education

Teacher Librarians are Chalkboard Champions, too!

Posted on by

Teacher Librarians are chalkboard champions, too! These invaluable resource teachers are so important as support personnel for the classroom teacher’s instructional program.

Teacher Librarians support all curricular content areas, and work side-by-side with classroom teachers to collaboratively plan, teach, and assess subject area content. Teacher Librarians are instrumental in teaching information literacy skills, addressing state standards and frameworks, and developing lessons in resource-based learning. They help ensure that students become effective users of ideas and information.

The Teacher Librarian is also expected to teach students how to access information from a variety of sources, information literacy strategies, reading strategies, and best practices using information technologies to enhance learning. In addition, they teach both students and their colleagues the laws and guidelines related to the ethical, legal, and fair use of information. Teacher Librarians teach and advocate the principles of intellectual freedom, foster independent thinking, and collaborate with the learning community to foster a positive school climate.

As if all this wasn’t enough, Teacher Librarians also advocate for a strong library program and work with students, parents, and the community to develop an understanding of library goals, policies, and procedures.

Because of all these responsibilities, many states require a teacher to earn an additional credential authorizing service as a library media teacher. Kudos to our nation’s Teacher Librarians, for they are chalkboard champions, too!

Paul Howard recognized as District of Columbia Teacher of the Year, 2018

Posted on by

Paul Howard

Chalkboard champion Paul Howard, a middle school social studies teacher from Washington, DC, was selected the 2018 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year

Chalkboard champion Paul Howard, a middle school social studies teacher from Washington, DC, was selected the 2018 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year. Paul teaches 7th and 8th grade at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus. His career as an educator has spanned six years.

LaSalle-Backus, part of the Washington DC Public School system, describes itself as a diverse community school united to inspire global thinkers, creators, and world leaders by honoring and developing the whole student.

Paul brings a unique, and pragmatic, perspective to his career as an educator. “It is impossible for a teacher to satisfy all the needs of all their students. No one person can pass on enough wisdom, knowledge, and love to children to prevent all of them from suffering,” Paul asserts. “While most people understand this conceptually at a societal level, teachers experience this first hand. At some point you will fail as a teacher, and that failure will impact a child. Your failures will have names and faces attached to them,” he continues. “A teacher is not the sole reason for a student’s success, nor is a teacher the sole reason for their failure; however, young teachers should know that they will experience both and they both shape you as an educator,” he concludes.

Teachers make a difference, says Tara Bordeaux, 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Tara bordeaux

Tara Bordeaux, 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year, pays tribute to her own teacher during recognition ceremony.

Need proof that teachers make a difference in the lives of their students? View this video below where Tara Bordeaux, the 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year, pays tribute to her 11th grade chemistry teacher, Mary Kay Canon.

Tara says her teacher “did the unthinkable. She saw students even when we couldn’t see themselves.” She tells the story about a day after the sixteen-year old, feeling bullied and trying to survive a difficult home life, had dropped out of high school and was even contemplating suicide. Ms. Canon camped out at Tara’s workplace until the teenager reported to work, and encouraged her to return to school. Tara says her teacher made her feel seen, understood, and cared for.

Not only did Tara return to school, she became a remarkable educator in her own right. She was named the 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year. When Tara was given flowers at the recognition ceremony held at Bullock Texas State History Museum, she turned around and gave the flowers to her former teacher.

At the ceremony, Tara charged the other educators in the room with one thing: “Please keep teaching for them, because I guarantee you, you are doing way more than you will ever realize with these kids,” Tara asserted. “Because one day that kid might be up here or be the doctor who is being recognized for the neurosurgical procedure of the year, or whatever it is. But that kid is going to be up here because of you.”

Tara is the director of Cinema and Media Arts at Lanier High School in Austin, Texas. She has ten years of teaching under her belt. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Photography, and Film Making, and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, both from the University of Texas at Arlington.

View the YouTube video below to hear Tara tell the inspirational story of her teacher: