Category Archives: Education

The campaign to establish Legendary Teachers Day

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At the Tucson Festival of Books last weekend I was excited to meet Dr. Nicholas I. Clement, a former teacher and superintendent of schools with a distinguished 38-year-long career as an educator. Nicholas is currently championing the cause of establishing a Legendary Teacher Day, to be celebrated on September 27, 2018. What a spectacular idea!

Nicholas explains that the definition of a legendary teacher is specific, yet simple. He says the premise is based on three tenets: building relationships, engaging deeply with students, and creating high expectations. “Legendary Teachers have frog eyes,” says Nicholas. “Frogs have great vision. They can see colors. They can see bugs at night. Some frogs have three lids, closing one for camouflage while still being able to see everything around them.” More about how to become a legendary teacher can be found in a slim little book Nicholas authored entitled How to Catch a Swamp Frog. The volume is available on amazon.com at this link: How to Catch a Swamp Frog.

Nicholas has spent many years in the field of education. This amazing educator began his career as a Special Education teacher, then moved on to become a principal at both the high school and junior high school level, and as an assistant superintendent. He also served as the superintendent of the Flowing Wells School District. Nicholas is currently the Dean of the College of Education at Northern Arizona University, where he is responsible for teaching and advocating for education throughout Arizona.

Nicholas earned his doctorate in Educational Administration at the University of Arizona. He earned his master’s degree in Educational Administration at the University of Nevada, and his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan.

Learn more about the campaign to establish Legendary Teachers Day at www.legendaryteacher.com.

 

Students nationwide mark the one-month anniversary of tragic shooting at Parkland high school

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Today we mark the one-month anniversary of the devastating shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. Fourteen students and three teachers and staff members were killed in a murderous rampage by a troubled former student. Since the incident, survivors at the school and others nationwide have been calling for gun reform in an effort to decrease the number of gun deaths in our country. Today, over 185,000 students from 3,100 schools in 50 states participated in the observance, which occurred at 10:00 a.m. local time in each time zone and lasted for 17 minutes.

It’s amazing and wonderful to witness our youth using the democratic process to express themselves about an issue they feel passionately about. I think the photo below, obtained from NBC News, speaks eloquently for the movement. To read the entire NBC article, click on this link: Students Demand Action.

Teacher and Television Personality Jedediah Bila

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Many former educators have distinguished themselves in the entertainment world. This is certainly the case with Jedediah Louisa Bila, a middle school, high school, and college educator who has earned a name for herself as a prominent television personality.

Jedediah was born on January 29, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York. As a youngster, she grew up in Staten Island where she attended an all-girls Catholic high school. Upon her graduation, she enrolled at Wagner College, a private liberal arts college in Staten Island, where she majored in Spanish and minored in business administration. She graduated from Wagner as the valedictorian of her class. After her college graduation, Jedediah earned her master’s degree in Spanish literature from Columbia University.

As an educator, Jedediah has taught various courses at the middle school, high school, and college levels. She has worked with learners from age three to adult, teaching them such subjects as creative writing, academic writing, Spanish, and public speaking. She has also been employed as a high school academic dean and adviser.

In the entertainment field, Jedediah served as a co-host on the popular television show The View from August, 2016, to September, 2017. In fact, in 2017, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host. Jedediah has also served as a Fox News contributor and as a regular panelist on shows such as Red Eye, MSNBC, and Lou Dobbs Tonight. She has also published a book, Outnumbered: Chronicles of a Manhattan Conservative, in May of 2011. She has also held several leadership positions in the marketing field.

You can learn more about this amazing educator and television personality at this link: Jedediah Bila Biography.

Benjamin Abbot: Teacher of Influential Politicians

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It is fascinating to learn about prominent and influential teachers throughout American history. This post is about Benjamin Abbot, an educator from Massachusetts who was the teacher for many influential eminent politicians and great thinkers in our nation’s past.

Benjamin Abbot was born on September 17, 1762, in Andover, Essex County, Massachussets. The son of John Abbot, Benjamin’s ancestors had settled in Andover since the earliest days of that town’s existence. In 1872, Benjamin enrolled in Philips Exeter Academy, a prestigious private institution founded in 1781 by prominent New England banker and businessman John Philips. Following his graduation from Philips, Benjamin enrolled in Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree there in 1788. In 1811, Benjamin earned a doctorate-level law degree from Dartmouth College located in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Benjamin accepted his first position as a teacher when he went to work at his alma mater, Philips Academy. There he taught Latin, Greek, and mathematics. Among his students were political figures Daniel Webster, Edward Everett, George Bancroft, and Lewis Cass, and educators Jared Sparks and Francis Bowen. Later, Benjamin served as the school’s second headmaster. When Benjamin retired in 1838, Daniel Webster honored his former teacher with a tribute.

Benjamin Abbot passed away on October 25, 1849, in Exeter. He was 87 years old. In 1815, Benjamin was elected to the American Antiquarian Society, an academic society that maintains a national research library of American history and culture. To learn more about this organization, click on the link American Antiquarian Society.