Ever wonder what strategies Annie Sullivan, often called the Miracle Worker, used to teach her deaf and blind student, Helen Keller? Watch this 5-minute video below for insights from author Terry Marzell.
“I AM a teacher,” declares California educator Jose Lalas
Educator Jose Lalas from Corona, California, posted an inspirational holiday message to his fellow teachers. Red it here. Photo credit: Jose Lalas.
I recently came across this post on Facebook written by Jose Lalas, an educator in Corona, California. Since the author invited teachers to copy and paste, I have done so. I share it now with you:
I AM A TEACHER and very proud of it! (many of us become teacher educators). And some of us earned the rank of full-professor with tenure.
I went to college, got a four year degree. Then I got a Master’s degree. Some of us even got a PhD or an EdD.
I endured state testing.
I was finger printed and background checked.
I trained before, during, and after my training/ education.
I continue to train because I am a lifelong learner.
Since full time employment, I have sacrificed time, sleep, and Family.
I have sacrificed my own money year after year to provide for my students.
I am a teacher.
I have learned, lasted, endured change, endured further change, and endured orders to embrace the change.
While you were sleeping, I have corrected papers and tests, researched and created, and endured harassing phone calls and emails with grace and professionalism.
I teach the kids who live on your streets.
I teach the kids that have been bailed out of jail.
I teach the kids who have been kicked out of psychiatric centers because they were beyond help.
I teach the kids whose home situations you could never imagine even in your worst nightmares.
I teach ALL students no matter their socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, medical/ psychiatric condition, good or poor attitude, religion, family circumstances.
When accused by the federal and state government for being part of a failing system,
I endure name calling, shame, and criticism simply because I am a teacher.
I am professionally evaluated on test scores and not the amount of time and effort I put into my teaching.
And despite it all,
I AM a teacher
And devoted to this noble calling.
Thank You to All my fellow educators!
Share this:
Minnesota teacher Coya Knutson served in US House of Reps
English and music teacher Coya Knutson was the first woman from the state of Minnesota to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Photo credit: Concordia College.
Many excellent classroom teachers also succeed in the political arena. One of these was Coya Knutson, a music teacher from Minnesota who was elected to the US House of Representatives.
Coya was born Cornelia Gjesdal on Aug. 22, 1912, in a farming community in Edmore, Ramsey County, North Dakota. Her parents were immigrants from Norway. After her graduation from high school, she attended Concordia College in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Education in 1934. Hoping to pursue a career in the opera, Coya attended the Juilliard School in New York City for one year. When her dream of a career in opera was not realized, she returned to Minnesota.
Once she returned to the North Star State, Coya married a farmer named Andy Knutson. The newlyweds settled on his farm near Oaklee and established a small local hotel. Coya taught English and music at high schools in the area and sang in local county fairs. In 1948, couple adopted a young boy they named Terry. Unfortunately, Andy was an alcoholic and prone to domestic violence. This led Coya to find reasons to stay out of the house.
In 1942, the young teacher heard a radio speech by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who urged women to become more politically involved. The call launched Coya into community activities and local politics. She became a field representative for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, a program designed to aid the war effort, and she joined the county welfare board. When Coya was elected on the Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) ticket to represent Minnesota’s 9th District, she was the first woman from the state to be elected to the US House of Representatives. There the former teacher served two terms, legislating from 1951 to 1959.
Shortly after she left Congress, Coya divorced her husband. She returned to Washington and accepted a position as a liaison officer in the Office of Civil Defense in the US Department of Defense. She was employed there until 1970.
Sadly, this trailblazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on Oct. 10, 1996, in Edina , Minnesota. She was 84 years old.
Share this:
Susan Rosato named Vermont’s 2021 Teacher of the Year
Susan Rosato, an English Language educator from Vermont, has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Linked In.
I enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Susan Rosato, an English Language educator from Vermont who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Susan currently teaches at Colchester High School in Colchester, Vermont, where she has been for 17 years. She began her career at the elementary level, teaching for five years at McMahon Elementary School in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In all, her career as an educator has spanned 22 years.
Within the educational community, Susan has a reputation for being a fierce advocate for immigrant and refugee families, and she has dedicated herself to smoothing their transition from their home countries to the United States. To this end, she has created and implemented a “newcomer” class in her school. She teaches the school’s English Learner (EL) course, and she instituted her school’s EL summer school program. In addition, she developed the district’s EL professional development course for her colleagues.
During the pandemic when students were completing lessons via distance learning, Susan stayed connected with families and provided support so they could maintain access to their children’s education, figure out how to sign up for unemployment benefits, and update their health information. She also created instructional and multilingual videos to provide information about the reopening of schools.
“What I can do and what we can all do to make students’ dreams a reality is we can start breaking down some of these barriers that refugee and immigrant students and other minority populations in our country and state face,” declares Susan. “I believe that our curriculum needs to be accessible and free of cultural bias. We need to start from the idea about what students can do, not what they can’t do,” she continues.
Susan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the State University of New York at Cortland in 1991. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the State University of New York at Albany in 1994.
To read more about Susan Rosato, see this article about her published by the St. Albans Messenger.
Share this:
Former science teacher Alberto Carvalho becomes Supt. of LAUSD
Alberto Carvalho, an immigrant from Portugal, began his career as an educator as a science teacher in Florida. He has just been hired to be the Superintendent of the LAUSD in California. Photo credit: fortwayne.com
Many excellent classroom teachers go on to positions of leadership and influence in their school districts. Alberto Carvalho is a fine example of this. Alberto inaugurated his career in education as a science teacher in Miami, Florida, rising to the position of Superintendent there. He has just been hired to be the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in California.
Because of his determination and hard work, Alberto was able to put himself through college. He enrolled in courses first at Broward Community College, and later he earned a scholarship to Barry University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree.
Alberto inaugurated his career in education as a science teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School in Miami-Dade County. He taught physics, chemistry, and calculus there. After four years in the classroom, Alberto served the District in several leadership positions, including Assistant Principal and Chief Communications Officer.
For the past 13 years, Alberto has served as the Superintendent for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. During his tenure there, he garnered local, state, national, and international recognition. He was named Florida’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year; the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year; the 2016 winner of the Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education; the 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the Year; the 2019 National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Superintendent of the Year; and he garnered recognition by Scholastic Administrator as one of “The Fantastic Five” educators making a difference in America. Alberto currently serves on the National Assessment Governing Board, to which he was appointed by the US Secretary of Education. He also serves as a committee member for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and as an Advisory Committee Member to the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance.
On Dec. 14, 2021, this Chalkboard Champion was hired to be the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California.
