Minnesota’s Nicole Peterson earns SHAPE America Teacher of the Year Award

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Minnesota dance and physical education teacher Nicole Peterson of West Fargo, North Dakota, has earned a 2019 SHAPE America Teacher of the Year Award.

One of the most amazing physical education teachers I have heard about is Nicole Peterson, a dance and physical education teacher from West Fargo, North Dakota. She was named a SHAPE America National Teacher of the Year in 2019. Award honorees are selected in response to their outstanding programs in adapted physical education, dance education, health education, and physical education.

Nicole received a crystal apple, flowers, a gift from her West Fargo Public School District and the local school board, and a $500 check from the West Fargo Educational Foundation. “I just want to give back to the community what I got out of this [city] and high school,” Nicole expressed. “I really like who I work with, my co-workers and the administration are all great. The culture of the school here is amazing and challenging all at the same time,” she concluded. In addition to her SHAPE Award, Nicole was named the 2018-2019 West Fargo Public Schools Teacher of the Year

Nicole teaches dance and physical education at West Fargo High School in West Fargo. In fact, she teaches at her alma mater. She graduated from West Fargo High in 1996. The honored educator has held that position for the past 16 years. Prior to West Fargo, she taught health and physical education in Henning, Minnesota.

Nicole earned her Bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Health and Physical Education from Moorhead, Minnesota, in 2000. She earned her Master’s degree from North Dakota in Curriculum and Instruction in 2013.

To read more about Nicole, see this article published in the West Fargo Pioneer.

Jill Biden: Educator and wife of presidential candidate

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Jill Biden: Educator, former Second Lady of the United States, and wife of current presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Many dedicated and talented educators also make excellent politicians. This is true of Jill Biden, a former high school English teacher who has also served as the Second Lady of the United States. She is the wife of Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate currently running for the office of President of the United States.

Jill was born on June 3, 1951, in Hammonton, New Jersey. She was raised in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. After she graduated from Upper Moreland High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvnia, in 1969, Jill earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Delaware (1975). She earned two Master’s degrees, one in English from West Chester University in Pennsylvania and one in Education from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Education from the University of Delaware.

After earning her degrees, Jill accepted a position teaching English and reading in high school. She taught for three years at Claymont High School in Delaware, and then at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware (1991-1993). For five years she taught adolescents with emotional disabilities at Rockford Center  Psychiatric Hospital.

From 1993 to 2008, Jill taught English and writing at Delaware Technical & Community College. Since 2009, she has worked as a professor of English at Northern Virginia community College.

When her husband was elected to serve as the Vice President under the Obama Administration, Jill continued to teach full time. She is believed to be the only Second Lady in history to hold down a full-time job while serving as Second lady. Despite her workload in the classroom, Jill still found time for public service. During her husband’s term, which spanned the years from 2009 to 2017, the hardworking educator co-founded the Book Buddies program and the Biden Foundation. She also spearheaded a nonprofit organization to support women’s health and another to support military families.

Currently, Jill is engaged in campaigning for her husband as he runs for the office of President of the United States. If her husband is elected, would Jill continue teaching in addition to her role as First Lady? “I would love to. If we get to the White House, I’m going to continue to teach,” Biden said during a CBS Sunday morning interview. “And I want people to value teachers and know their contributions and to lift up the profession.”

Click on this link by ABC News to learn more about Jill Biden’s work in the current campaign.

NYC educator Renee Diamond succumbs to coronavirus

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Beloved educator Renee Diamond, a retired first grade teacher from New York City, passed away on May 11, 2020, from coronavirus.

Sadly, yet another educator has succumbed to the coronavirus. She is Renee Diamond, a retired first grade teacher from New York City. She was 73 years old.

Renee inaugurated her 25-year career as an educator in 1968 when she accepted a position as a first grade teacher at PS 25 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. After an eight-year hiatus when she stayed home to raise her family, Renee resumed her career at PS 134 in Hollis, Queens. She taught there until her retirement in 2003. During those years, Renee also tutored PS 134 students living in homeless shelters. In 2004-2005, the hardworking educator served as a technical grant facilitator for Districts 16 and 23 in Brooklyn and District 27 in Queens.

Former student Tamara Blocker (1984-1985) remembers her teacher fondly. “Every child loved being in her class,” Blocker recalled. “They loved her compassionate, loving smile and open arms, and knew she valued what they had to say.” Friend and colleague Judy Cohn agreed. She remembers Renee as a teacher who was beloved by her students and their families. “Renee always encouraged and supported her students,” Cohn said, “and often told them, ‘If nobody can listen to you read, then read to your mirror.'”

During her retirement, Renee was a judge for Long Island History Day and a Board Member for the Hollis Hills Civic Association.

The beloved educator passed away on May 11, 2020. To read more about Renee, follow this link to New York State United Teachers.

California teacher David Rodriguez garners Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award

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Math and technology teacher David Rodriguez from Hesperia, California, garners coveted Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.

I love to share stories about exceptional educators who have been recognized for their hard work and talent in the classroom. One of these is David Rodriguez, a math teacher from California who has garnered a coveted Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. He is one of ten educators from around the country to be so recognized.

David teaches at Canyon Ridge High School in Hesperia in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The school offers an alternative program for students who were not succeeding in a traditional school environment. The Amazon prize comes with $25,000 of computer equipment and $25,000 in school supplies for his school.

“This is the first year that we brought coding to Canyon Ridge, and it was challenging,” explained David, “but the collaboration and discussions that happened in the classroom because of it were unforgettable. This award will allow me to expand the technology in my class,” he continued. “It means further access for students, stronger and more capable equipment for coding and ESports, and a potential for a deeper and richer learning environment.”

In his coding and Esports class, David teaches the fundamentals of coding while also bringing in the teamwork and competitive elements found within Esports.  His students have built computers, competed in Esports tournaments, and developed successful lines of code as a team. “Many of our students have learned the importance of their core classes through the lens of coding and Esports, most importantly, statistics, number sense, and the reading and comprehension of informational text,” David revealed.

Amazon selects the recipients of the Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award based on a variety of criteria. These include their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.

To read more about David, see this article published in the San Bernardino Sun.