Teacher Carter Godwin Woodson: The Father of Black History

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Carter Godwin Woodson, the American school teacher who created Black History Month, an annual celebration of the many outstanding contributions African Americans have made to our country. Photo credit: Public Domain

This February, educators all over the country are sharing Black History Month with their students. The observance is an annual celebration of the many important  contributions African Americans have made to American society. But did you know that Black History Month, itself, was the brainchild of a brilliant African American teacher?

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950)  is credited with organizing and advocating annual Black History Month celebrations in American schools, starting 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 as a means 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?

This Chalkboard Champion was one of the first to study African American history, to collect data, oral histories, and documents, and to publish his findings in a scholarly magazine he published, The Journal of Negro History. For these accomplishments, and many more, Carter Godwin Woodson has been called the “Father of Black History.”

To read more about this fascinating historical figure, check out the chapter I have written about him in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.

Music educator Heather Rosner honored by Alexandria Chamber of Commerce

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Music educator Heather Rosner of Alexandria, Virginia, named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. Photo Credit: Northern Virginia Magazine

Here’s an absolutely amazing music teacher whose story I would like to share. Her name is Heather Rosner, and she teaches at George Mason Elementary School in Alexandria Virginia. In 2022, Heather was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce.

Heather’s employment at Mason Elementary spans 12 years. Over this period, the honored educator has expanded the school’s music program to include every student in the fourth and fifth grades. But clearly, the most challenging period of her career took place during the Covid pandemic. When schools were closed down, Heather adapted her music program by providing wind, brass, and percussion instruments for every one of her 120 students to practice with at home. She made home visits, tuning and repairing the instruments, and supplementing her virtual instruction with one-on-one tutorials.

Once schools were re-opened at the start of the 2021-2022 school year, Heather’s District’s protocols did not allow for wind instruments, and students were required to wear masks at all times while in the classroom. Heather adapted to those conditions, too. “I totally changed what music looked like at our school,” she explains. She introduced her students to the bass guitar, drums, and ukuleles.

Heather, who was born in Rockville, Maryland, earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College in New York. She also studied with a drum and gyil ensemble in Ghana. The gyil is a traditional West African wooden xylophone.

In June 2022, Heather was named to the “40 Under 40” list created by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. Each honoree, says the Chamber, was selected for their professional accomplishments, scholastic achievement, community impact, and personal story. In September 2022, Heather was named a finalist for Northern Virginia Magazine’s Teacher of the Year awards. Her nomination came as the result of widespread praise from her students’ families.

To read more about Heather Rosner, see this article published about her by Ithaca College.

Idaho’s E’Liane Khang garners 2022 Simplot Inspirational Teacher award

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Elementary school teacher E’Liane Khang of Pocatello, Idaho, has been named the winner of the 2022 Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award. Photo Credit:

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. Today, I share the story of E’Liane Khang, an elementary school teacher from Idaho who has been named the winner of the 2022 Simplot Inspirational Teacher award.

E’Liane teaches fifth graders at Tyhee Elementary School in the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District in Pocatello, Idaho.

It is easy to see why E’Liane is noted for her ability to inspire her students. She works very hard to develop relationships with her kids. “The first several months of school are spent eating lunch with each of my students so that I can get to know them better,” she explains. “Outside during recess, I play games and encourage shy kids to walk and talk with me. Some days, I can be silly, dance, sing, or poke fun at myself for attempting to play four square or sharks and minnows. By Christmas, my class will hopefully have a very strong sense of community and be ready to tackle difficult assignments or projects,” she continues. “These relationships help me to build trust, so that I can eventually request my class to try harder, take risks, and not fear making mistakes,” she concludes.

In addition to her work in the classroom,  E’Liane participates in a variety of workshops, book studies, and math mentoring programs. She has brushed up her knowledge of new technologies by spending her vacations attending Summer STEM programs for Idaho State University. This is important, she says, because when teachers implement new technology in their lessons, reluctant learners don’t want to miss school.

E’Liane was selected for the SImplot Inspirational Teacher award from a pool of 379 nominated teachers. Council Members selected 20 finalists based on the teacher’s ability to inspire their students, their use of innovative methods in the classroom, and their impact on students’ life-long skills. As the winner of the award, E’Liane received $500.

To learn more about E’Liane Khang, click on this link to the Simplot Award.

Alabama’s Kelly Parker named 2023 Elem Teacher of the Year for District 1 in

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Elementary school teacher Kelly Parker from Mobile, Alabama, has been named the 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year for District 1 in her county. Photo Credit: Mobile County Public School System

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who teach in American schools. One of these is Kelly Parker, an elementary school teacher from Mobile, Alabama. She has been named the 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year for District 1 in her county.

Kelly’s career as an educator spans 14 years. She currently teaches second graders at Tanner Williams Elementary School in the Mobile County Public School System. She has also taught kindergarten and first grade.

This innovative educator enjoys designing hands-on curriculum and community service projects for her young students. She fosters a love of writing with her students by directing each class to complete a book for their successors as part of her series, Sweet Home Tanner Williams. For another project, Kelly wrote a grant for Agriculture in the Classroom to fund a greenhouse on her campus. Once the greenhouse was built, her students planted seeds to raise plants to sell to the community, and through these sales, the students raised $2,000 for the school.

In addition to her work with children, Kelly leads professional development on foundational reading skills and serves on her school’s team for accreditation. And Kelly is one of the first educators in her district to be named a Dyslexia Interventionist Resource teacher.

Kelly earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of South Alabama. She earned her degree as an Education Specialist from the University of West Alabama. She is also a National Board Certified teacher. Furthermore, she has attended Space Camp for Teachers at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

To read more about Kelly Parker, click on this link to an article about her published by Mobile County Public Schools.