Covid-19 claims life of Texas teacher and new mom Alexandra Chandler
We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of Texas elementary school teacher and new mom Alexandra Chandler. Photo credit: Heritage Funeral Home
We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Alexandra Chandler, a fifth grade teacher from Fort Hood, Texas, succumbed to the disease on Feb. 13, 2022. She was just 27 years old, and she was a new mom.
Alexandra taught fifth grade reading and writing at Montague Village Elementary School in the Killeen Independent School District in Fort Hood, Texas. Even though she was vaccinated, she hesitated to return to work after Winter Break, because she was just days from delivering, and Covid-19 cases were surging. Despite her reservations, Alexandra went back to the classroom.
At the time of her passing, the elementary school teacher had just given birth to her first child, a son she and her husband named Beau, born Jan. 9, 2022. While at the hospital, both Alexandra and her newborn were diagnosed with Covid-19, but the pair were discharged and sent home. Five days later, both were readmitted to the hospital for difficulties breathing. Alexandra’s health declined, and she was placed on a ventilator. She passed away a few days later.
Alexandra was born on Sept. 20, 1994, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Her family moved to Belton, Texas, when she was 11 years old. Following her high school graduation from Belton High School in 2013, the fallen educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Texas A&M Central Texas, summa cum laude, in 2017. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2021.
“As a little girl, Alex always wanted to be a teacher,” remembered Jenny Clay, Alexandra’s mother. “It wasn’t so much that she chose teaching as teaching chose her.”
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Minnesota educator Brigid Sandager earns 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award
Fifth grade teacher Brigid Sandager of Bayport, Minnesota, earned the 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC). Photo Credit: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Brigid Sandager, a fifth grade teacher at Anderson Elementary School in the Stillwater Public School District located in Bayport, Minnesota. Brigid has earned the 2021 Outstanding Teacher Award from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC). Her career there spans 15 years.
Integrating agricultural education into her instructional program strengthens classroom discussions by allowing students to examine the world around them and how choices made today affect the future, asserts Brigid. Her fifth graders explore science and agriculture through their own observations, and then they share their observations through journaling, collaboration, and technology. “We have strengthened our classroom discussions by looking at what is happening around us and how what we do now impacts our future,” the honored educator says. “I hope the use of curriculum provided by Minnesota Ag in the Classroom expands students’ farm-to-plate knowledge and hopefully encourages them to look beyond how food is grown to the many other STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) career opportunities available through agriculture,” she concludes.
Brigid earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science with an emphasis in Agriculture Education from the University of Minnesota in 1983. She earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Reading Teacher Education from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, in 2014.
With her honor from MAITC, Brigid received a $500 stipend and $1,500 in expenses to attend the 2021 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, last June. The MAITC program was established 30 years ago as a partnership between public and private entities. The organization is based at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Teachers!
Sara Russell named Iowa’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to high school Social Studies teacher Sara Russell, who has been named Iowa’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Pleasant Valley Community School District
Congratulations to Sara Russell, who has been named the Iowa State Teacher of the Year for 2022.
Sara teaches Advanced Placement Geography and Modern US History to grades 9-12 at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. She has been teaching there since 2005. Prior to that, she taught at Benton Community High School located in Van Horne, Iowa. In all, her career as an educator has spanned 20 years.
In her classroom, Sara emphasizes the importance of student-centered learning, hands-on instruction, critical thinking skills, and the power of productive struggle. She is passionate about the inclusion and acceptance of all students.
Sara’s commitment to her program is clearly evident. “I believe in the idea that you will never truly understand a concept or idea until you can apply it to your own life or the world around you,” she asserts. “While direct instruction is a necessary component of learning, I structure as much of my class time as possible around student activities that demand students make their own meaning of concepts or ideas, usually in a cooperative environment,” she continued. “With all of the activities, I strive to have students discuss, defend, explain, and apply their learning,” she concluded.
In addition to teaching, Russell serves as a mentor teacher, helps to plan and implement professional development as a member of her school’s Teacher Leadership System (TLS), and advises student groups about equity, inclusion, and civic engagement. Also, Sara has presented at the annual conference for the National Council for Social Studies in 2014. The topic of her presentation was organizing US History classes to be more inclusive.
Sara earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She earned her Master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University, with a thesis focusing on multicultural education and social justice.
