Science educator Linda Rost named Montana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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High school science educator Linda Rost named Montana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

All over our country, there are so many talented educators who have been honored for the work they do in the classroom. Among them is Linda Rost, a high school science teacher from Montana. She was recognized as the 2020 Montana Teacher of the Year. She has also been named one of four finalists for the 2020 National Teacher of the Year award. In addition, Linda has garnered the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Teacher Award three times, the Continental Cares grant two times, and the 2016 National Vernier Engineering Contest.

Linda teaches at Baker High School in Baker, Montana. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Linda serves as the Chairperson of the Baker Public Schools Professional Development Committee. She established the committee in 2018 to focus on STEM and Indian Education for All (IEFA) K-12 collaborations and grant projects. IEFA encourages all Montanans to learn about American Indian heritage in a culturally respectful way. Her career as a professional educator has spanned 12 years.

Currently, Linda is working toward her doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Texas Tech University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2006 from New Mexico State University. She earned two Master’s degrees from Montana State University at Bozeman. The first is in Instruction & Curriculum (2010) and the second is in Science Education (2018).

“Teaching is my life’s passion, so this award is incredibly meaningful,” remarked Linda. “I was raised by passionate educators who instilled in me an insatiable hunger for learning, and I love infecting my students with that same passion,” she continued. “Upon completion, I plan to teach pre-service teachers in undergraduate programs to help mitigate our current rural teacher shortage in Montana. I also am hoping to serve a greater role in some of the statewide, STEM professional-development grant programs as a researcher and grant writer,” she concluded.

The highly prestigious National Teacher of the Year award is given annually by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to identify exceptional teachers nationwide, celebrate their effective work in and outside of the classroom, amplify their voices and empower them to take part in policy discussions at the state and national levels.

To read more about Linda, see this link at nnstoy.org.

Jon Bon Jovi pops into class Zoom meeting of Florida teacher Michael Bonick

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Rock star Jon Bon Jovi pops into class Zoom meeting of teacher Michael Bonick of Marsh Pointe Elementary School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Kudos to all our nation’s teachers who have come up with so many brilliant strategies for distance teaching during the current stay-at-home directives! Here’s one whose story that is just irresistible. It’s about Florida kindergarten teacher Michael Bonick, who works at Marsh Pointe Elementary School in Palm Beach Gardens.

Michael, a long-time fan of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, was able to persuade the music icon to pop in to his classroom Zoom meeting last Monday. The teacher was instructing a lesson about coping with the coronavirus quarantine, and Bon Jovi wanted to be part of the conversation. Last month, the Grammy-winning musician released an incomplete version of a new song he entitled “Do What You Can.” The song is a ballad about the nation’s efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. He asked his fans to compose and submit verses to complete the song. Michael submitted his students’ compositions, and this prompted the Bon Jovi front man to meet the young lyricists online.

“Mr. B got you guys writing, and I was very excited to hear that,” Bon Jovi told the students. “Because if you get to put your feelings down on paper, sometimes they’ll turn into songs. Sometimes they’ll turn into stories, and you never know where it might lead you.” Then, as the 20 kindergartners and their parents watched online, Bon Jovi played his acoustic guitar and sang the verses written by three of the young students.

“They were blown away,” the innovative teacher expressed. “They loved every minute of it.” Surely, this will be a highlight in the quarantine experience of everyone involved.

To read more about this story, see this link at app.

Colorado’s Cindy Pearson wins 2020 Outstanding Agriculture in the Classroom Award

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I always enjoy sharing stories about teachers and their exciting curriculum. Here is the story of Cindy Pearson, a third grade teacher at Loma Elementary in Loma, Colorado. Cindy is the winner of the 2020 Outstanding Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Award offered by the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture. View this short you tube video to find out how Cindy incorporates agriculture into her third grade curriculum. It’s fascinating!

Detroit teacher, poet, and radio host Brenda Perryman passes from Covid-19

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Detroit teacher, poet, and radio show host Brenda Perryman passes away from Covid-19.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of them is Brenda Perryman, a well-known performing arts teacher, poet, and radio personality from Detroit, Michigan.

Brenda earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech, Dramatic Arts, and Education from Eastern Michigan University. During her undergraduate years, she joined the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Upon graduation, Brenda inaugurated her career as an educator. She taught English, speech, and drama from 1970 to 1988 at Highland Park High School. She then transferred to Southfield High School, where she taught from 1988 to 2010. She also served as the Chair of the Fine Arts Department there. She retired in 2010.

In her retirement, Brenda flourished as a poet, playwright, and a radio show host. Her program, Talk 2 Me with Brenda Perryman, was broadcast on Comcast 20/TV33 WHPR. On her show, she regularly championed local educators, writers, artists, and others. In addition, she served as a speaker for Procter & Gamble’s nationwide show Total You Tour, which was shared with thousands of young women on college campuses and in urban convention venues. She also performed as a featured poet for programs honoring Sidney Poitier and Maya Angelou. She was also a published poet. Her volumes of poetry include Mood Swings and Magic Carpet Rides, Moods for You, and Tender Ravings.

Brenda became well-known in Detroit as an educational speaker on women’s  issues, domestic violence, diabetes, and using poetry as a means of catharsis. She garnered several Spirit of Detroit awards. She was also recognized by the local NAACP chapter as its Most Outstanding Member.

Sadly, Brenda succumbed to Covid-19 on April 5, 2020. She was 71 years old. You can read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion in the obituary published by the Detroit Free Press.

Teacher Mona Lee Brock: “The Angel on the End of the Line”

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Teacher and guidance counselor Mona Lee Brock of Oklahoma. She was often called “The Angel on the End of the Line.”

I love to share stories about teachers who go above and beyond, not only for their students, but also for their families. One of these is Mona Lee Brock from Oklahoma, who dedicated her considerable energy to helping suicidal farmers in her home state. In fact, she was often called “The Angel on the End of the Line.”

Mona was born in Madill, Oklahoma, on Jan. 1, 1932. She was one of eight children. As a youngster, she attended Kingston High School. As a young woman, she attended Southeastern State College. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1964. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma in 1967.

Once she earned her degrees, Mona accepted a position as a teacher in the Moore Public School System in Oklahoma. She also served as a guidance counselor and the school’s principal.

During the 1980’s, farmers in her home state and elsewhere in the country were hit hard by droughts, high production costs, low prices, bad loans, and a Russian embargo on grains. The struggle to survive these conditions caused many farmers to commit suicide. To combat this tragedy, Mona personally manned a suicide prevention hotline, which she ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s how she earned her nickname, “The Angel on the End of the Line.” Her work was noticed by musician Willie Nelson, who contributed money to her cause. He was also motivated to launch his Farm Aid campaign, which raised over $50 million to help struggling farmers.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion succumbed to congestive heart failure on March 19, 2019. You can learn more about Mona Lee Brock through her obituary at the New York Times.