Brian May of the rock band Queen: He was once a teacher

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Brian May, the lead guitarist and songwriter with the superstar rock band Queen. was once a teacher?

You may have heard of Brian May, the lead guitarist and songwriter with the superstar rock band Queen. But did you know that he was once a teacher?

As a youngster, Brian received his education at the Hampton Grammar School, now known as the Hampton School. By all accounts, he was an exceptional student. After graduating from high school, Brian enrolled at Imperial College London, where he studied mathematics and physics. He earned his Bachelor’s degree, with honors, in 1968. In 2007, he completed the requirements for his Ph.D. in Astrophysics which he had begun in 1971. His doctorate is also from Imperial College.

In 1971, before he struck it rich with Queen, Brian worked as a math and science teacher at South London’s Stockwell Manor. The school served economically disadvantaged students at the time. “It was very challenging,” Brian confesses. “You couldn’t get the children to attend unless they were incredibly interested in what you were saying,” he continues. “I had an advantage because I was young and could speak to them in their own language,” he said.

Brian says he enjoyed his experience as a teacher, although one class gave him exceptional trouble. “One of my most disastrous experiences was the time I tried to teach the second form rectangles, pentagons and hexangles,” Brian remembers. “I had this idea of letting them cut up colored paper with scissors. The staff said, ‘You are seriously going to take scissors into the second form?’ Half an hour into the lesson, they were all attacking each other with scissors — ears, feet and hands were getting cut and there was blood and paper everywhere,” he admitted. “I remember thinking, ‘I will never try this again!'”

To read more about Brian May, click on this biography.

Health teacher Sharon Bradley: She hasn’t missed a day of school in 26 years!

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Here’s a fabulous Chalkboard Champion from Garland School district in North Texas. She is Sharon Bradley, a health science teacher at Naaman Forest High School. Sharon is 85 years old, and hasn’t missed a day of school in 26 years. Watch this inspirational video about her.

Choir Director Amy Eden describes life lessons her students learn

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Music Educator and choir director Amy Eden describes life lessons her students learn from participating in her program.

Today I would like to spotlight  music educator and choir director Amy Eden. She teaches at Corona High School in Corona, California. I met Amy when she brought her Madrigals to perform at the monthly meeting of the California Retired Teachers Association, Division 80, last Friday.

During the Madrigals’ performance, Amy chatted with the audience about the life lessons her students learn from their involvement in her music program. What Amy teaches her students in addition to music is impressive!

The students travel from venue to venue within the city, she noted, and the acoustics of each venue varies greatly. The students must instantly adapt to the unique sound properties of each venue. She also mentioned that when the group experiences unexpected absences in its members, those who are present must adjust their volume to compensate for those missing voices. The chalkboard champion conducted an impromptu on-the-spot survey of the students, which revealed that many of the students pursue other interests in addition to choir. These interests include theater, sports, Advanced Placement courses, learning to play an instrument, and working at jobs outside of school. “So they really have to learn time management,” Amy pointed out.

Amy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal/Choral Education at California State University, Fullerton. While there, she studied conducting, participated in the Chamber Singers, the University Singers, and joined the ACDA Student Chapter. Amy also earned a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education in 2016. She has taught at Corona High since 2003. Prior to accepting her position there, she taught for one year at Terra Cotta Middle School in Lake Elsinore, California.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Amy performs in and directs local Broadway musicals and she sings for her church.

Preschool Special Ed teacher Rebecca Vitelli named Delaware’s 2020 State Teacher of the Year

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Preschool Special Education teacher Rebecca Vitelli named Delaware’s 2020 State Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations to Rebecca Vitelli, who has just been named Delaware’s 2020 State Teacher of the Year. This remarkable educator is a preschool Special Education teacher in the Colonial School District.

Rebecca teaches at the Colonial Early Education Program in New Castle. Her youngsters deal with autism, cognitive challenges, and health issues. Rebecca says she strives to be inclusive in her teaching. She firmly believes that every students has the drive and the ability to learn.

“Teachers must remain consciously present listeners and encouragers,” declares Rebecca. “Many of my students begin school without the ability to speak. However, this in no way means they have nothing to say. We teach children to express themselves in a multitude of ways. We show them that communication is powerful, and that others will listen and value what they have to share,” she continued.

Rebecca came from a family of educators. Bother her parents are teachers. She earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Delaware. Her career has spanned only four years, but already her work has captured the attention of state-level educators.

Rebecca was selected out of a group of 20 teachers, one from each district and one from a Delaware charter school. As this year’s honoree, she will receive a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of her students, and two personal grants totaling an additional $5,000.

Read more about the remarkable Rebecca Vitelli at this link: Delaware’s State government website. Take a look at the short video below where Rebecca shares her philosophy of learning.