Illinois music teacher Dee Green: She was no Stooge

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Illinois teacher Dee Green earned fame in Hollywood when she worked with The Three Stooges in the movie Brideless Groom (1947). Photo Credit: IMDb

Many talented classroom teachers achieve success in fields other than education. One such teacher was Delores Mae Green, who better known as Dee Green.

Dee was a beloved music and choir teacher who was also an acclaimed actress in Hollywood. Her claim to fame is that she worked with the Three Stooges. She is well-known for playing the part of one of Shemp’s potential brides. She was the plain, tall, and fawning Miss Fanny Dinkelmeyer in the comedy short Brideless Groom. She also portrayed the homely and unattractive fiance in I’m a Monkey’s Uncle and the daughter of King Rootintootin’ in Mummy’s Dummies. Unfortunately, Dee’s acting career ended when  a motor vehicle ran over her feet in New York. The accident resulted in the need for orthopedic footwear for the remainder of her life.

Dee was born on November 16, 1916, in Peoria, Illinois. After she concluded her career in show business, she earned her Master’s degree in music. She returned to her home town and taught music and choir classes at Peoria Heights Grade School in Peoria Heights, Illinois, during the 1960’s. Throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s she taught Language Arts and Drama at Roosevelt Junior High, which is now known as Rockford Alternative Middle School, in Rockford, Illinois. She produced many annual events, including a production of Babes in Toyland and numerous elaborate Christmas pageants that included every student in the school.

Dee inspired more than one of her students to pursue a career in theater. Some of them eventually earned success on Broadway in New York. She was often described by her students as kind and generous, and a woman of great courage, talent, and vision.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away from cancer on April 24, 1985, in Rockford, Illinois. She was 65 years old.

Vampire Weekend musician once taught junior high school

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Alternative rock musician Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend fame formerly taught English to eight graders in New York City. Photo Credit: FamousBirthdays.com

Many individuals who have enjoyed successful careers as entertainers have also experienced success as classroom teachers. One of these is Ezra Koenig, a musician who also taught at a junior high school in New York.

Ezra was born on April 8, 1984, in New York City. As a youth, his family moved to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, where he graduated from Glen Ridge High School. He then returned to New York to enroll at Columbia University.

Right out of college, and looking very young for his 23 years, Ezra taught English courses for eighth graders at Junior High School #258 in Brooklyn, New York. He there as part of the Teach for America program. Although Ezra’s students described him as laid back, Ezra remembers those years as rough. “It was a pretty hectic lifestyle,” he confesses. “I mean, (being a full-time musician) is a hectic lifestyle too, but to teach all day, then go record or try to, you know, play a show, and then wake up and go to work again was pretty difficult.”

In the entertainment industry, Ezra is best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Vampire Weekend. But the former teacher is also the creator and host of the Apple Music fortnightly radio show, Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. He has also earned acclaim as the creator of the American-Japanese animated television series, Neo Yokio.

For his work in the music industry, Ezra has earned many accolades. He has garnered five Grammy Award nominations for his work with Vampire Weekend. He won the award for Best Alternative Music Album in both 2013 and 2019. He was also nominated for Album of the Year 2016 for his work as a producer on Beyonce’s album Lemonade.

To read more about Ezra’s experiences as a teacher, see this link to an article about him published by MTV News.

Former history teacher Jesse Williams known for role on Grey’s Anatomy

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Former high school History teacher Jesse Williams earned fame for his role as Dr. Jackson Aver yon the television show Grey’s Anatomy. Photo Credit: The Things

You may be familiar with the actor Jesse Williams, who portrayed Dr. Jackson Avery on the television show Grey’s Anatomy. But did you know that before his success as an actor, he was a public school teacher in Pennsylvania?

Jesse was born on August 5, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a professional ceramics artist and a factory worker. By the time he graduated from high school, both of his parents were employed as public school teachers.

As a young man, Jesse attended Temple University, where he completed the requirements for a double major in African American Studies and Film & Media Arts. He then worked for six years as a high school teacher in Philadelphia public schools, instructing courses in History, American Studies, African Studies, and English. Although he spent most of his teaching career at the secondary level, Jesse also worked with kindergartners and seventh graders.

“High school is my favorite just because of my ability to connect with the students,” Jesse once confessed. “I think it stems from the fact that high school was a real shift, a real fork in the road for me as a student, and it helped me get on the right track. It was a real hinge point in my life, so I think that’s what drew me to it,” he revealed. “But kindergarten was a lot of fun. Always an adventure, it certainly helped me prepare more for parenthood than anything else. I totally felt like Kindergarten Cop,” he concluded.

In addition to Grey’s Anatomy, Jesse has appeared in numerous other television shows, including Law and Order in 2006; Beyond the Break in 2006; Seattle Grace in 2010; and Station 19 in 2020. He also garnered roles in several films, including The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in 2008; Brooklyn’s Finest in 2010; and Jacob’s Ladder in 2019. The former teacher can also be seen in several music videos, including Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette” (2009), Jay-Z’s “Legacy” (2017); and Demi Lovato’s “Tell Me You Love Me” (2017).

Even though Jesse no longer works as a professional educator, he still supports educational programs. He has coordinated with the platform Scholly to create scholarship opportunities for low-income students. He also supports Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and Amnesty International. For his philanthropic efforts, Jesse earned a BET Humanitarian Award in 2016.

 

Actress and comedian Lennon Parham is a former French teacher

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Actress and comedian Lennon Parham is a former French teacher from Georgia. Photo Credit: Hollywood Handbook

Anyone who has been up in front of a classroom knows that teaching is, in part, a performance. So it’s no surprise when talented teachers make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. One teacher who has done this is former high school French teacher Lennon Parham, who now works as a celebrated actress and comedian.

Lennon was born on October 27, 1976, in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia. Her parents named her after the musician John Lennon. As a young girl, she attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, Gwinnett County, Georgia.

After her high school graduation, Lennon enrolled at the University of Evansville, a small private university located in Evansville, Indiana, under the Teach for America program. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theater. Once she completed the requirements for her degree, Lennon accepted a position as a French teacher at T.L. Weston High School in Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, where she taught for two years.

After fulfilling her obligation for Teach for America, Lennon began her career in the entertainment industry in earnest. She began performing comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Aneles. She also starred in the two-person show The Adventures of Lock & Kay and the one-woman show She Tried to be Normal. Over the years, she has wracked up an impressive resume. She has made appearances in 26 episodes of the television show Playing House, 18 episodes of Accidentally on Purpose, 12 shows of Lady Dynamite, six episodes of Veep, six shows of Best Friends Forever, two episodes of Better Things, and 26 episodes of Bless This Mess. She also appeared in roles on Children’s Hospital, Parks and Recreation, Bad Judge, Arrested Development, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Minx. Lennon also performed in the movies Pretty Bird, Confessions of a Splinterheads, Shopaholic, and Horrible Bosses 2.

Despite her success, the former French teacher has not entirely left the classroom. She has taught improv classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) training center. The UCB is the only accredited improv and sketch comedy school in the country. You can learn more about this organization at this link: UCB.

Maryland theater teacher Donald Leifert also a sci/fi actor

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High school English and Theater Arts teacher Donald Leifert of Maryland earned some renown as an actor in science fiction and horror films. Photo Credit: who’s.com

It is often said that there is a certain amount of theatrics involved in teaching. This must be true to some degree, because there are many examples of talented educators who are also successful as actors. One of these is Donald Leifert, an English and Theater Arts instructor who also earned some renown as an actor in science fiction and horror films.

Donald was born on February 27, 1951, in Maryland, the son of Dolores J. and Donald L. Leifert, Sr. During the Viet Nam conflict, Donald served as a soldier in the US Army. As soon as he earned his honorable discharge from the army, he spent two years studying at the Douglas-Webber Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.

Donald worked with independent film director Don Dohler in science fiction and horror films. He was cast in the role of the homicidal ghost in The Galaxy Invader, and then the contemptible lout Drago in Nightbeast, and also the good-for-nothing redneck Frank Custer in The Alien Factor.

Once Donald decided to change careers, he accepted a position teaching English and Theater Arts at the Carver School for the Arts in Baltimore County, Maryland. He later taught English and journalism at Dundalk High and Catonsville High and English and Theater Arts at Towson High School in Baltimore. In addition, Donald was a published author. He authored his biography, entitled Riggie: A Journey from 5th Street.

This exceptional educator passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 59 on October 23, 2010, in Parkland, Maryland. At his passing, this Chalkboard Champion was remembered fondly by his former students. “He always pushed his students to be their best, because he knew we were capable of it, even when we didn’t,” remembered former student Jennifer Wallace. “He was kind, funny, and stern when he needed to be,” she said. Other former students agree. “As a senior in high school he would allow me to teach his beginner acting class now and then,” commented former student Jessica Wentling. “He gave to me the love of teaching, a passion that I intend to continue pursuing,” she concluded.