Science teacher Mary Appelhof, the “Worm Woman”

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High school science teacher Mary Appelhof, known as “Worm Woman,” earned recognition for developing the practice of vermicomposting.

Many talented classroom teachers become recognized specialists in their specific field of study. One of these educators is Mary Arlene Appelhof, a science teacher from Michigan, who became well-known for developing the practice of vermicomposting.

Mary was born on June 11, 1936, in Detroit, Michigan. As a young woman, she attended Berea High School in Berea, Ohio, where she graduated in 1954. Following her high school graduation, she enrolled in Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1958. The following year she earned her Master’s degree in Biology there. She later earned a Master’s degree in Education and completed advanced courses in biology.

After earning her degrees, Mary taught science courses at Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She also taught at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan.

In the early 1970s, Mary experimented with “vermicomposting,” a system using worms to recycle food waste into fertilizer. To spread the practice, she developed lessons for her students and home gardeners. She also talked to garden clubs, and exhibited at harvest festivals, barter fairs, and energy expos. She became a vocal advocate for protecting the environment when she served on solid waste planning committees. These efforts led others to nickname her the “Worm Woman.” For her work, the innovative teacher garnered a grant from the National Science Foundation to videotape her experiments. With footage developed with the money from the grant, she produced an educational video entitled Wormania! You can learn more about the practice of vermicomposing at Mary’s website, Worm Woman.com.

This amazing educator passed away on May 4, 2005. She was 68 years old. She is interred in Benzonia Township Cemetery. In 2009, the National Women’s History Project honored Mary Appelhof as a Women’s History Month Honoree.

Teacher Jim Freeman carries the day (literally!) for wheelchair-bound student

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Kentucky teacher Jim Freeman of Tully Elementary School volunteered to carry student Ryan Neighbors on his back so she could participate in the class field trip to Falls of the Ohio.

I love to share stories about teachers who go the extra mile for students, and here is one story that is truly heartwarmng. Teacher Jim Freeman of Tully Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky, wanted to ensure that student Ryan Neighbors could participate in a field trip with her class. The group was planning to go to Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Park just over the state line in Clarksville, Indiana. The thing is, Ryan is confined to a wheelchair, and isn’t able to do the hiking and climbing that the field trip requires. Ryan was born with spina bifida, a birth defect where the spine and spinal cord do not form properly.

When students visit the conservation park, they hike to 390-year-old fossil beds. view museum exhibits that depict human history of the Louisville area, including pre-settlement, early settlement, and the history of southern Indiana. In order to make it possible for Ryan to participate, the teacher volunteered to carry the ten-year-old in a carrier on his back for the entire excursion.

Ryan’s mother, Shelly King, cannot praise the teacher enough. “I was blown away,” she expressed. “Mr. Freeman, he’s not her teacher but he teaches in the classroom next door. That’s what I think makes it so heartfelt, because he’s not her teacher. He didn’t have to do it,” she said. The mother also said she was grateful that Freeman was so compassionate and willing to help.

The student also appreciated the ability to participate in the field trip. “I liked it so much,” Ryan expressed. She said she learned a great deal on the trip. “We got to see the fossils and the bones … and I thought it was really fun,” the student declared.

To read more about this story, view this online article published by People.com.

Hawaii’s Sarah King garners a prestigious Milken Award

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Students all over our country are so fortunate to have so many talented educators staffing our public schools. These hardworking individuals work tirelessly to develop innovative and effective instructional programs, and they genuinely care about their students. One of these is Sarah King, a first grade teacher from Hawaii. She garnered a prestigious 2018-2019 Milken Educator Award, only one of 33 teachers in the country to do so.

Sarah hails from Ala Wai Elementary School in Honolulu. As the Title I coordinator there, Sara develops school-wide support systems that allow all the kids to thrive and reach their full potential. She works with her colleagues to achieve these goals with tiered support systems and enrichment programs.

Sarah says she has always dreamed of becoming a teacher. The highlight of her day is helping students learn how to read. “The students make it all worth it,” Sarah asserts. “When you see them light up when they finally figure out something or are proud of themselves and knowing you had a hand in that, (it) is awesome,” she said.

Sarah attended the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2008. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum Studies there in 2012.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. Sarah is one of up to 40 educators, and the only one from Hawaii, to receive the Milken Educator Award for the 2018-2019 year. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Houston teachers jump into action when school floods

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When the going gets tough, the teachers get going! Teachers at Durham Elementary School in Houston, Texas, proved that this week when Tropical Storm Imelda flooded their school.

When the storm made landfall last Tuesday, it dumped nearly four feet of water on the city in just 72 hours. The deluge caused severe flooding throughout the area. When the water level rose in the hallways of the school, quick-thinking teachers jumped into action, using benches to create an elevated walkway for their students. Balancing on the benches, the kids were able to pass through the hallways without getting their feet wet.

One of the school’s teachers, who wishes to remain anonymous, made a video of the incident “to share the circumstances that the students and faculty face every time it rains,” she explained. “It showed teachers jumping into action and doing what was necessary to make sure those students felt safe and secure,” she continued. “The students are the priority and nothing else mattered in that moment,” the chalkboard champion concluded.

Durham teachers, you are heroes!

Clarence Leon “Brick” Mitchell: High school PE teacher, football player, and coach

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Clarence Leon “Brick” Mitchell: PE teacher, football player, and coach

Many fine educators also enjoy success in professions other than teaching. One of these is Brick Mitchell, a high school physical education teacher who also earned fame as a football player and college football coach.

Brick was born Clarence Leon Mitchell, but was always known by his nickname, “Brick.” His birth year is believed to be 1894. As a young man, Brick played college football at the University of Oregon from 1915 to 1918, when World War I was in full swing. I 1916, he was selected to the All-Pacific Coast football team. He played the position of end. During his college years, Brick played three games in the Rose Bowl.

In the 1920s, Brick coached football at San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California. The school is located 20 miles south of San Francisco. In 1926 Coach Mitchell led his team to its first state championship. Next, Brick worked as a line coach at the University of California, Berkeley. From there he was hired as the Head Football Coach at the University of Nevada, Reno. He coached there from 1932 to 1935. During those years, he led his team, the Wolf Pack, to a record of 10 wins, 20 losses, and 3 ties

In 1958, Brick returned to the high school. There he taught physical education, mechanical drawing, and math at Oroville High School in Oroville, California. Oroville is a public high school located in the rural northern valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

Sadly, Brick Mitchell passed away on October 21, 1963, at the University of California Hospital in San Francisco. He was 69 years old. To read more about this amazing coach and educator, see this link at Wikipedia.