Teacher Jessica Duenas named Kentucky’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Teacher Jessica Duenas named Kentucky’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

Kentucky’s 2019 Teacher of the Year is sixth grade teacher Jessica Duenas of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.

In all, Jessica’s career has spanned ten years. The honored educator, a native of New York, initiated her career in a Brooklyn middle school. After moving to Louisville in 2012, she joined the staff at Shawnee Academy in Jefferson County Public Schools. She later moved to the district’s Highland Middle School. In 2015, she transitioned to Oldham County Middle School. This year, Jessica joined the inaugural staff of WEB DuBois Academy. The school is one of five schools in the nation that supports young boys with an Afro-centric curriculum. The school targets the lowest performing demographic.

In the classroom, Jessica enjoys a reputation for building relationships with struggling students who are often overwhelmed and forgotten. She also serves as an adviser to Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis and is a statewide equity trainer. In addition, she is part of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children. And if all that wasn’t enough, Jessica mentors Latino students at Adelante Hispanic Achievers. Jessica is a published author as well. She has published articles in The Courier-Journal and Education Week TEACHER.

Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Hunter College at the City University of New York. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching Students with Disabilities from the Brooklyn College at the City University of New York. She has also completed courses in instructional leadership from Bellarmine University located in Louisville.

To learn more about this amazing educator, check out this link: CCSSO.

Former teacher Claire Lee Chennault: Commander of the world-famous Flying Tigers

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Former school teacher and principal Claire Lee Chennault became a distinguished military man and commander of the world-famous Flying Tigers during World War II.

Many talented educators have also earned distinction in professions other than education. One of these is Claire Lee Chennault, a former rural school teacher who became a brilliant military man. He is probably best known as the commander of the world-famous Flying Tigers during World War II.

Claire was born on September 6, 1890, in Commerce, Texas. He was raised in the town of Gilbert, near Waterproof. The young boy was just ten years old when Wilbur and Orville Wright made their first powered flight in 1903. This event gave birth to Claire’s lifelong interest in aviation.

As a young man, Claire attended Louisiana State Normal college, now known as Northwestern State College of Louisiana. He also participated in ROTC, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, an organization that trains individuals to become commissioned officers in the US Armed Forces. After earning his degree, Claire inaugurated his career as a teacher in a one-room school in rural Athens, Louisiana. He also served as the principal of Kilbourne School from 1913 to 1915.

When Wold War I broke out, Claire enlisted in the US Army and was sent to officers training camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Lawrence Township, Indiana. When he completed his training, he accepted a commission as a first lieutenant in the Infantry Reserve. A short while later, Claire became both a pilot and a flight instructor. He continued to teach flight school until 1937, when hearing loss forced him to retire from the military.

After leaving the US Armed Forces, Claire decided to go to China. There he took command of the First American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, known worldwide as the Flying Tigers. Members of the group were pilots from the US Army Air Corps, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps recruited under President Franklin D. Roosevelt prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The mission of these courageous aviators was to defend China from a Japanese invasion, but after the outbreak of WWII, they flew in combat against Japanese forces.

Claire earned many medals and decorations for his military achievements. Among these are the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal.

This former chalkboard champion succumbed to lung cancer on July 27, 1958. He was 67 years old. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington Cemetery. In December 1972, Claire was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Middle school teacher Danielle Riha named 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year

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Middle school teacher Danielle Riha named 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year.

Our nation is fortunate to have so many wonderful public school teachers. One of these is Danielle Riha, a middle school teacher in Anchorage, Alaska. Danielle teaches math, science, social studies, English, and culture to junior high school students in the Southwest Region School District. Because many of her students are Alaska natives, Danielle has developed a curriculum that emphasizes culturally responsive teaching.

Danielle started a reading program that invited Yup’ik elders into the classroom, and she helped develop a culturally relevant curriculum for the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School. She created the Morning Gathering, and implemented Culture Week. Danielle also works on the Alaska Humanities Forum Educational Advisory Board, a group that assists new teachers in their efforts to understand and connect to indigenous culture and lifestyle. In addition, she helped create Math in the Cultural Context modules which are now being used in districts all over the state of Alaska.

For her 18 years of outstanding work in the classroom, Danielle was honored as the 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Danielle was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She originally planned to pursue a career in physical therapy. She completed coursework at North Texas University. Then she and a friend decided to work together to earn money for graduate school. Danielle sold everything she owned, took a road trip to Seattle, and found employment in Alaska’s fishing industry. While on a job in Dutch Harbor, she accepted a second job as a substitute teacher. Once she was in the classroom, Danielle was hooked on the profession, and she decided to become a full-fledged educator.

Danielle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in 1995. In addition, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska in 2000. She earned her Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University in 2005. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. in Education at Cappella University.

To read more about this chalkboard champion, click on this link to an article published by Danielle’s alma mater at the University of Alaska: Danielle Riha.

Tour of US Supreme Court building makes excellent experiential learning

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A tour of the United States Supreme Court building located in Washington, DC, would make an excellent experiential learning experience for students.

Most educators agree that travel is one of the best methods of experiential learning. And one of the most rewarding destinations for travel for American students is our nation’s capital city, Washington, DC. There are many historic sites to visit in the city, and one of the most impressive is the United States Supreme Court building. This building is the work place of the United States Supreme Court, the highest and most influential court in the nation.

Originally the Supreme Court justices met in a small side chamber in the US Capitol building. By the turn of the 20th century, however, the court had outgrown the space. In 1912, Chief Justice William Howard Taft began advocating for a separate structure to house the justices. Shortly thereafter, architect Cass Gilbert designed a new Supreme Court building in the neoclassical style. Construction began in 1932 and was completed in 1935.

A visit to this impressive building would make an excellent experiential learning experience for students. While there, they can view the actual courtroom where the Supreme Court justices meet. If they time it right, they can even listen to a short lecture conducted by one of the docents. The docent will present interesting information about how the court works. In addition to the Courtroom, portions of the first and ground floors of the building are open to the public. Be sure your students see the John Marshall statue and the numerous portraits and busts of former justices which decorate the hallways.

Your class can learn more about the US Supreme Court at this website: Supreme Court. You can also view this brief 3-minute YouTube video for an overview of the building  (please ignore the commercial at the end).

As always, I urge you to teach a great day!