Category Archives: Education

Illinois music educator Grace Jeong earns Award of Excellence

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Music educator Grace Jeong of Chicago, Illinois, has received a 2024 Award of Excellence fro the Illinois State Board of Education. Photo Credit: Illinois State Board of Education

It is always my pleasure to share the news that an exceptional educator has earned accolades for their work with young people. Today, I share the news that Chicago music educator Grace Jeong has received a 2024 Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Award of Excellence is given to teachers who have greatly improved their school community by advocating for positive change and have shared opportunities for improvement with colleagues. These educators have become an integral member of their departments and larger school culture.

Grace teaches at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. Under her direction, her choir students have performed at prestigious venues, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall, the Auditorium Theater, and The Art Institute of Chicago. In competitions, the school’s choirs consistently earn Superior and Honors Superior ratings in both Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Illinois High School Association (IHSA) choral festivals. The groups have also performed in other states, including Tennessee and Florida, and overseas in Germany, South Korea, and China.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Grace frequently works as a judge and a clinician in the greater Chicago area, and she has served as the CPS All-City High School Assistant Director. In addition to her recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education, she was selected by the National Endowment for Humanities to participate in the Mozart Institute in Vienna, Austria.

Grace earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Southern California. She earned a second Master’s degree in Choral Education from VanderCook College of Music.

Science teacher Katie Strait of Maine earns recognition

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Science teacher Katie Strait of Portland, Maine, earns recognition for her work with young people. Photo credit: Maine Department of Education

I am always pleased to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned recognition for their work with young people. Today, I share the story of Katie Strait, a high school teacher who was named a 2024 County Teacher of the Year for the county of Cumberland, Maine.

Katie teaches at the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, a public charter school located in Portland, Maine. The school offers courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for students in grades nine through twelve. Katie teaches courses in biology and marine biology.

Katie was raised in upstate New York. When she graduated from high school, she moved to Maine to attend the University of New England. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Marine Science. Then she enrolled at the University of New Hampshire where she earned a Master’s degree in Zoology with a focus in Aquaculture. Most of her professional career has been in the science industry – from R&D in a clinical chemistry lab to becoming a manager at Bangs Island Mussels.

Once she earned her degrees, Katie took a job in a clinical chemistry lab and worked for a while as a manager at Bangs Island Mussels. But it was a long-term substitute position at Sanford Middle School that caused her to realize she wanted to pursue a career in education. She taught at Sanford for five years and then, in 2021, she accepted the position at Baxter Academy.

In her classroom, Katie is well-known for her hands-on, real-world teaching style and her focus on relationship-building. She organizes regular field trips for her students to explore the nearby tide pools and marine ecosystems, and often organizes beach clean-ups, and then she asks her students to create art work with what they find during these clean-ups.

SC History teacher Sarah Kelly garners prestigious awards

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South Carolina History teacher Sarah Kelly has garnered a prestigious 2024 National History Teacher of the Year Award from the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History. Photo Credit: Gilder Lehman Institute

There are many outstanding educators in American schools who have been honored for their work with young people. One of these is Sarah Kelly, a middle school teacher from South Carolina. She has garnered a prestigious 2024 National History Teacher of the Year Award from the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History.

Sarah teaches at Carolina Springs Middle School in Lexington, South Carolina. In a career that has spanned 12 years, she has taught grades five through eight. Sarah has a reputation for creating a classroom atmosphere that develops critical thinking skills, hands-on activities, analyzing diverse texts, and engaging in creative projects.

Established in 2004, this prestigious award recognizes exceptional elementary through high school teachers for their outstanding contributions to American history education. As part of her recognition, Sarah will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and a collection of classroom resources, including an archive of American history books and educational materials curated by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Additionally, she will be recognized at a local ceremony and join the group of 53 finalists who are contending for the 2024 National History Teacher of the Year Award. For a complete list of the 2024 state winners, visit this link.

“In times like these, history teachers play a critical role in shaping students’ understanding of the past and inspiring hope for the future,” says James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. “Their unwavering dedication to educating our youth is commendable, and we take great pride in honoring the most exceptional educators across the country.”

In June, 2024, Sarah was also honored as the South Carolina History Teacher of the Year by the South Carolina State General Assembly for her contributions to the teaching profession.

Former First Lady Laura Bush was also a teacher and school librarian

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Former First Lady Laura Bush also served her community as a teacher and a school librarian in her home state of Texas. 

Laura Bush was just seven years old when she informed her parents that she wanted to be a teacher. And she never wavered from her decision. Before she became the nation’s First Lady, she served her community as a teacher and school librarian.

Like many teachers, Laura felt a calling to the teaching profession. As a youngster, she enjoyed lining up her dolls in the pretend classroom she established in her bedroom. There she and her childhood playmates would play school for hours on end.

Laura earned her degrees from Southern Methodist University, where she majored in Elementary Education and completed her student teaching semester. She inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Dallas Public Schools system.  At the tend of the school year, Laura moved to Houston, where she taught second grade at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

After three years as a classroom teacher, Laura returned to college to earn her Master’s degree in Library Science. This done, she accepted a position as a children’s librarian at a public library in Houston, a job which suited her well. But she missed working in schools.

The following year she became a school librarian, working at a school with an inner-city population. Apparently, the students there were tough. One of Laura’s former colleagues described the future First Lady. She said, “She was friendly and very loving but very firm. She had her rules…and you followed them.”

Laura has said that she believes that children need dedicated teaches in their lives. She has often said, “Teachers have a more profound impact on our society and culture than any other profession.”

To read more about Laura Bush and her career as an educator, check out this book, From Classroom to White House: The President and First Ladies as Students and Teachers, by James McMurtry Longo, available on amazon.

Wyoming teacher John Corbin named 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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High school Social Studies teacher John Corbin has been named the 2024 Wyoming State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Wyoming State Department of Education

Every year, one outstanding educator is named his or her State Teacher of the Year. This year, that outstanding teacher for the state of Wyoming is John Corbin.

John teaches Social Studies courses at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming, for students in grades nine through twelve. He instructions courses in Western Civilization, U.S. History, AP U.S. History, American Government and occasionally a History in Hollywood elective course. His career as an educator spans 16 years, eight of them in Cody schools.

In his classroom, John fosters relationships with his students through engaged lessons and differentiated activities. He incorporates multimedia lessons, student-led debates, or history-based projects into his curriculum. He supports a variety of extra-curricular activities to support the interests of his students, giving them the tools to be successful. He also organizes a “build your own adventure” to help illustrate how the Neolithic Revolution happened and Rap Battles of History.

“Another thing that I do in Western Civ is we look at the rise and fall of empires and I let them pick groups based off of musical genres,” describes John. “They basically create a playlist that outlines the factors of the rise and fall of an empire, but then they have to justify it,” he continues.

In addition to his State Teacher of the Year honors, John was named the 2024 Park County School District 6 Teacher of the Year. He has also received the John P. Ellbogen Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence in the Advancement of Quality Civics Education.

John earned his Bachelor’s degree in History with a Secondary Education Emphasis from the University of Northern Colorado. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also a National Board Certified Teacher.