NY teacher Stefanie Clark earns Staples “Thank a Teacher” Award

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Congratulations to Stefanie Clark, a teacher from Oakfield, New York. She is one of 20 educators nationwide who have been named a recipient of a 2020 Staples “Thank a Teacher” Award. Photo credit: Oakfield-Alabama Central School District.

Congratulations go to Stefanie Clark, a teacher from Oakfield, New York. She is one of 20 educators nationwide who have been named a recipient of a 2020 Staples “Thank a Teacher” Award.

Stefanie teaches first grade at Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School. During distance learning established in response to the pandemic, Stefanie held individual online literacy lessons weekly with each of her young readers. Through these lessons, the exemplary educator encouraged and ensured her students’ continued growth.

But Stefanie’s dedication to young people is evident outside of her classroom as well. She distributed grab-and-go meals and held special virtual events during her school’s closure. These virtual events included a Fort-Nite Party where students built their own forts. She also organized a virtual Halloween Costume Party where students dressed up in costume to enjoy a bedtime story. Stefanie definitely embodies the phrase, “When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.”

As part of the recognition from the Staples “Thank a Teacher” Program, Stefanie will receive $5,000 to spend on supplies for her classroom. The office supplies store is happy to provide the cash awards to the recipients, remarked Mike Motz, Chief Executive Officer of Staples US Retail. “Staples knows that teachers will need our support more than ever — whether they’re teaching in the classroom, remotely or a combination of both,” said Motz.

To read more about Stefanie Clark, read this article published by The Batavian.

Covid claims life of science teacher Dr. Cathy Falkner of Texas

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With great sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Cathy Falkner, a dedicated and talented educator from Killeen, Texas. She succumbed to Covid-19 on January 7, 2021. Photo credit: Killeen Independent School District.

With great sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Cathy Falkner, a dedicated and talented educator from Killeen, Texas. She succumbed to Covid-19 on January 7, 2021, following a lengthy hospitalization.

Cathy was born on March 8, 1973, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a young girl, she attended Fort Wayne Community School. In 1991, she graduated fourth in her class from Northside High School. All throughout her life, her family membes say, Cathy exhibited a thirst for knowledge which made her an avid reader and scholar.

Once Cathy earned her high school diploma, she enrolled at DePauw University, a private school of higher learning located in Greencastle, Indiana. Later she graduated with honors from Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, as a pre-med major. She earned her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1999.

After earning her medical degree, Cathy changed her emphasis from medicine to teaching science. She became a science teacher at first at Killeen’s Crossroads High in Coperas Cove, Texas, and then Ellison High School in Killeen, where she spent the last three years of her teaching career.

Despite the fact that her teaching career was short, the fallen educator was an inspiration to many. “The students and staff of Ellison High School will remember the positive impact she made on their lives during the three years she was on campus,” expressed District spokesperson Taina Maya. “Despite the illness, Ms. Falkner’s main concern was for her students and their continued success in her class. Her dedication educating students will be greatly missed,” Maya continued.

To learn more about Dr. Cathy Falkner, see this obituary published by McDowell Funeral Home.

Jamil Siddiqui inducted into National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Jamil Siddiqui, a mathematics teacher from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, is one of five educators who have been inducted into the 2020 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Photo credit: Bostonia Magazine.

Congratulations are due to educator Jamil Siddiqui, a mathematics teacher from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He is one of five educators who have been inducted into the 2020 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Jamil teaches mathematics, Honors Algebra II, Honors Precalculus, and Advanced Placement Calculus at East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. During his 27 years as a teacher there, he has coached hundreds of students for the AP Calculus test. On average, seven out of ten of those students receive a score of three or higher on the exam. One in three will score a perfect five. Those statistics are well above the national average.

Over the span of his career, the honored educator has seen 16 of his former students become math teachers. The first was a student from his 1996 class, and the most recent is in their mid-20s, Jamil reports.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Jamil has worked closely with Mass Insight Education as a Mathematics Lead Teacher since 2012. He has also served as a College Board consultant for AP calculus since 2014. He was named the Massachuetts State Teacher of the Year in 2019.

Colleagues and students often point out Jamil’s pure love of math, and his undying commitment to his school. They say he is the kind of a teacher who hosts barbecues for his students, attends their sports games, and routinely stays late as a club advisor or a confidante. “I always say, you gotta love something, either your subject or your students,” Jamil says. “The best teachers, I think, love both.”

Jamil earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering in 1993, his Masters of Arts in Teaching in 1994, and his Master of Arts degree in Teaching Pure Mathematics in 1998, all from Boston University.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to Bostonia Magazine.

CA’s Romaine Washington: Educator and acclaimed poet

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Many talented classroom teachers also find notoriety as authors. One of these is Romaine Washington, a California educator who has earned acclaim as a poet. (Photo credit: www.romainewashington.com)

Many talented classroom teachers also find notoriety as authors. One of these is Romaine Washington, a California educator who has earned acclaim as a poet.

Romaine was born and raised in San Bernardino in Southern California. As a latch key kid afflicted with asthma, she spent many after-school hours reading. And even as a youngster, her gift for poetry earned special attention from her teachers.

As an adult, Romaine earned her Bachelor’s degree in French from California State University, San Bernardino. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. She is a fellow of the Inland Area Writing Project (IAWP), a program that offers teachers additional training in instructional practices for writing sponsored by the University of California, Riverside.

After earning her degrees, Romaine worked as a high school teacher. It was in her first year that she completed the IAWP program. “I was invited back to be a workshop presenter and then a facilitator for the summer program,” she recalled. “For two years, I was poet-in-resident,” she continued. She also accepted a position to teach as an adjunct in the Cultural Language and Diversity Program  at her alma mater, Azusa Pacific. In all, her career as an educator has spanned over 20 years.

Romaine has published two books of poetry, including Sirens in Her Belly (2015) and Purgatory Has An Address, which is due to be released in April of this year. Her work has been published in a wide variety of anthologies and periodicals, including San Bernardino Singing, Lullwater Review, and Cholla Needles. She also contributes to the Inlandia Institute, an organization that offers creative writing classes for adults in the Inland Empire of Southern California. In addition, she has presented her work in a wide variety of venues from National Poetry Slam, National Public Radio, and her local radio station KPFK.

To learn more about Romaine, see her website at  www.romainewashington,com.