Black History Month originated by educator Carter Godwin Woodson

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Carter Godwin Woodson

Black History Month originated by educator Carter Godwin Woodson.

This February, educators all over the country are sharing Black History Month with their students. The observance is an annual celebration of the many important  contributions African Americans have made to our society. But did you know that Black History Month, itself, was the brainchild of a brilliant American teacher?

Educator Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950)  is credited with organizing and advocating annual Black History Month celebrations in American schools, starting in 1926. Certainly this is an admirable accomplishment in and of itself, but there is so much more to learn about this outstanding educator.

Did you know that, as a youngster, Carter was forced to work on the family farm rather than attend school? Nevertheless, he taught himself to read using the Bible and local newspapers. He didn’t finish high school until he was 20 years old. Did you know that he once worked as a coal miner in Fayette County, West Virginia, and then later went back there to teach school to the children of Black coal miners, serving as a personal role model for using education to get out of the mines? And did you know that Carter taught school in the Philippines, and then became the supervisor of schools, which included duties as a trainer of teachers, there?

This Chalkboard Champion was one of the first to study African American history, to collect data, oral histories, and documents, and to publish his findings in a scholarly magazine he published, The Journal of Negro History. For these accomplishments, and many more, Carter Godwin Woodson has been called the “Father of Black History.”

To read more about this fascinating historical figure, check out the chapter I have written about him in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.

Nominate an exceptional educator to be featured on this blog!

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Do you know an exceptional educator that deserves some accolades? Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, and administrators alike? Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire. You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post on this web site. Simply use the contact form on this site to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate. I’ll do the rest! Hope to hear from you soon!

Third grade teacher and Maryland’s 2020 Teacher of the Year Teresa Beilstein

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Third grade teacher and Maryland’s 2020 Teacher of the Year Teresa Beilstein.

I love to share stories about outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Teresa Beilstein, an elementary school teacher from Arundel County, Maryland. She has been named her state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Loyola, Teresa worked for SunTrust Bank. Later she earned two Master’s degrees, one in Teaching and a second in Organizational Psychology, both from Walden University. In addition, she holds an Advanced Professional Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Reading, and she is a nationally board certified as an Early Childhood Generalist.

In 2013, Teresa accepted a position to teach third grade at South Shore Elementary School for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The school is located in Crownsville. The honored educator confesses that she especially likes working with third graders. She says that year is a time when children are developing their personalities and humor and are “absolutely on fire for learning.” In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Teresa collaborated with a small team of county educators who wrote an elementary-level curriculum and assessments aligned to new science standards.

Teresa believes that educators should always look for ways to engage their students’ attention and interest. “As teachers, we need to bring the content, bring the data, and bring the fun,” Teresa declared. “Before students can be expected to learn, they need to be emotionally invested and it is my job, as an educator, to create the spark that will draw students in and get them involved,” she continued.

To read more about this chalkboard Champion, see this article published by the Maryland Department of Education.

Helen Agcaoili Brown, Los Angeles teacher, established Filipino library

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Helen Agcaoili Brown, a former third grade teacher in Los Angeles, California, founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library.

Students in our country are so fortunate to have many talented chalkboard champions in our schools. One of these is Helen Agcaoili Brown, a California teacher who is the founder of the Filipino American Reading Room and Library.

Helen was born May 16, 1915, in Manila, the Philippines. Her family immigrated to the United States shortly after her graduation from Manila Central High School in 1934. As a young woman, Helen studied first at Pasadena City Junior College, and then at the University of California, Los Angeles. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Social Work.

After she earned her college degree, Helen accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California. Her career spanned many years.

In 1985, Helen founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library, the first of its kind in the country. To enlarge the library’s collection, she donated her private library collection. She realized the value of the library she inherited from her father, and she worked diligently to build on it by collecting books, pamphlets, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and even the souvenir programs given out during the events of various Filipino organizations. She believed that nothing was too insignificant when it came to preserving the social history of Filipinos in the United States. In addition to founding the library, she also served as the facility’s librarian.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on January 25, 2011. She was 95 years old.

The Filipino American Library is located at 135 N. Park View St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. You can visit their website at Filipino Library.