Category Archives: Education

Former teacher, coach, and pro basketball team co-owner Andre Levingston

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Andre Levingston

Former teacher, coach, and pro basketball team co-owner Andre Levingston

There are many classroom teachers who have also earned a name for themselves in an arena outside of the classroom. This is true for Andre Levingston, who at one time was a co-owner of a professional basketball team in Halifax, Canada.

Andre was born in 1965 and raised in a disadvantaged neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. Once he graduated from high school, he attended California State University, Chico, where he played basketball at the NCAA Division III level. At Chico Andre earned his Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology.

After his graduation, he became a fourth grade teacher at the Paul Robeson Academy in Detroit. Robeson Academy is a school where the enrollment is comprised primarily of young African American boys. At Robeson Andre also coached basketball. “It was an amazing school, one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of,” Andre once said. “We were losing too many Black boys to the streets, to violence, to jail. There were a lot of single parents, women ran homes, and when (kids) came to school it was all women. We wanted them to see positive men,” he continued.

When Andre decided to relocate to Ontario, Canada, he opened two businesses: a restaurant and a custom car shop. While living in Ontario, Andre was asked to help bring a basketball team to Mississauga. He wasn’t able to put that deal together, but later he heard that Halifax was eager to have a professional basketball team, so Andre went there to establish The Rainmen. His team played until 2015, when it was disbanded.

While he was associated with the Rainmen, Andre encouraged his players to become involved in some aspect of community service. Community service is obviously a passion for Andre. “I stumbled into teaching, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done because I had the opportunity to affect the lives of children,” the former educator once said. “And now basketball is an extension of that classroom. Instead of affecting 30 kids, I get to affect an entire community,” he concluded.

 

Ten celebrities who were teachers before they were famous

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Ever daydream about a career in the movies? Many of us teachers do. Without question, teaching is a performance. So, just for your entertainment, here is an eight-minute You Tube video that celebrates a list of ten celebrities who were teachers before they became famous. You’ll be surprised at a couple of them. Enjoy!

Former students gather to honor music teacher Robert Moore

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Every once in a while I stumble upon a heartwarming story about a teacher that just warms my heart. Here is one about Robert Moore, a retired high school music teacher from Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Robert’s 30 year career as an educator began in 1966 and ended when he retired in 1996. He just celebrated his 80th birthday, so as a special surprise, nearly 300 of his former students decided to pay homage to their former music teacher. In an effort that took nearly a year to organize, they traveled from all over the country and from three foreign countries back to their home town of Ponca City. There they rehearsed and performed a surprise tribute concert for Robert. Some of the selections they performed brought Robert to tears, such as “Kumbaya” and the Christmas song “Still, Still, Still.”

Many of the former students described their teacher as a strict disciplinarian who pushed them to perform beyond what they thought they had in themselves. “He expected the best out of us, and therefore we gave the best that we had,” remembered Katy Cutler-Art, class of 1975. “He would stop you in the hall and ask you to sing a specific note,” recalled Susan Clay Vitkavage, class of 1979. Because of Robert’s expert guidance, the Ponca City Chorale won choir competitions all over the country every year that he served as their director. Many of the former students said they pursued successful careers in music or became educators because of the inspiration they gained from Robert.

Despite his rather tough teaching style, Robert obviously still harbors great affection for his former students. “Thank you so much for this,” he told them at the conclusion of the concert. “You’ll never know what it means to me and to my family. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

View this four-minute YouTube video for more about this amazing chalkboard champion. I just recommend you keep the tissue box handy.

 

Social studies teacher Peggy Jackson inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Peggy Jackson

Social studies teacher Peggy Jackson of New Mexico has just been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Those of us in the teaching profession are always delighted when one of our colleagues earns a prestigious honor or award. One teacher who has earned recognition recently is Peggy Jackson, a government and US history teacher who hails from Moriarity, Torrance County, New Mexico.

Peggy earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in 1963. She earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of New Mexico, and a second Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of New Mexico in 2007. That university is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Peggy’s lengthy career as an educator has spanned 35 years. Since 1999 she has taught government and US History at Moriarty High School. Previously she taught Honors English at MacArthur High School and Churchill High School from 1965 to 1973. She then accepted a position to teach English at Hope Christian High School, where she worked from 1989 to 1991. From 1991 to 1999, she was a humanities instructor in the Albuquerque Public Schools.

Peggy actively promotes peer teaching in her classroom. When students teach each other, this “empowers them to value their own learning and to accord respect to their peers,” she declares.

Peggy has earned a great deal of recognition for her work in the classroom. In 2005, she was named New Mexico Social Studies Teacher of the Year, and in 2010, she was recognized as the New Mexico Teacher of the Year. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, from 2016 to 2017 she served as the President of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

To learn more about the National Teachers Hall of Fame, click on this link: NTHF.

Maureen Murphy-Foelkl of Oregon inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Elementary school teacher Maureen Murphy-Foelkl of Salem, Oregon, a 2018 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

It is always wonderful to learn that one our fellow educators has earned a prestigious honor, such as being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. One teacher that was honored in this way just this past June was Maureen Murphy-Foelkl, an elementary school teacher from Salem, Oregon.

Maureen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Oregon State University in 1982. As soon as she graduated, she accepted a position as a K-5 general education teacher with the Salem-Keizer School District in Salem, Oregon. She worked there from 1982 to 2016, at which time she retired. From 2016 to the present, she has worked as a K-5 environmental science teacher at Straub Environmental Center in Salem. In total, Maureen’s career as a professional educator has spanned 32 years.

Maureen believes in the power of a positive attitude. “Teachers need to be inspirational in bringing positive energy into lessons and out into the community,” she declares. “I am constantly seeking instructional inspiration from as many sources as I can locate.” And, clearly, she recognizes the value of the teacher as an instructional leader. “The journey is rewarding, as you positively influence the lives of your students,” she says. “Stay curious. Our children will create our magnificent future, through you, their teacher,” she concludes.

For her work in the classroom, Maureen has earned many awards. In 2017, she garnered the Teacher Innovator Award from the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation, and in 2016, she was given the Don Jeffery Award Lifelong Environmental Educator honors from the Diack Foundation. She earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in mathematics and Science Teaching in 2014, and in 2011, she was honored with the Entomological Foundation’s President’s Prize from the Entomological Society of America. And now she has been recognized by the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame, located in Emporia, Kansas, inducted this year’s five honorees on June 22, 2018. To earn this honor, inductees must have a minimum of 20 years of full-time teaching experience in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms. They must also submit a rigorous nomination packet and video.