Richard Knoeppel: Recent inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

Posted on by

Richard Knoeppel: Stellar Las Vegas Career and Technical Education teacher and recent inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

There are many fine classroom educators who have been singled out for special recognition. One of these is computer technology teacher Richard Knoeppel of Las Vegas, Nevada, who was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame earlier this month.

Richard earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts Education in 1967 from University of New York at Oswego. He earned his Master’s degree from the same institution the next year. In 2008, he earned an Advanced Studies Certificate from Southern Utah University.

Richard inaugurated his career in the classroom at Northport High School in New York, where he taught Drafting and vocational courses in auto shop and metal shop. From 1991 to 1994, he taught  Career and Technical Education at J. Taylor Finley Junior High School, also in New York. He spent the school year of 1994-1995 teaching Career and Technical Education to students grades six through eight at Robison Middle School. In 1995, Richard accepted a position as an instructor at Technologies Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has been teaching courses in architecture. In all, this stellar educator’s career has spanned 31 years.

Today, Richard is a teacher-leader at A-Tech. He serves as the Career and Technical Education Department Chair. He is also a member of the Nevada STEM Advisory Council.

For his work in the classroom, Richard has earned many accolades. In 2007, he was named to the Clark county School District Excellence in Education Hall of Fame. In 2014, he garnered Teacher of the Year honors at Magnet Schools of America, Region VIII. In 2017, he was honored as the Nevada State Teacher of the Year.

“As a Career and Technical Education Teacher, I firmly believe that I need to provide my students with the knowledge and skills they will need to thrive in the future,” declares Richard. “I want to provide them with the ability to be successful in jobs and careers that haven’t been thought of yet,” he says.

Top-notch tour guides and exceptional teachers: the traits they share

Posted on by

With summer vacation finally here for most educators, many of us begin to think about how to spend our much-longed for and richly-deserved free time. For many of us, summer offers a great opportunity for travel. I have had the good fortune to make several tours overseas. Each time it was my good fortune to meet very knowledgeable and capable tour guides. It occurred to me that many traits that make a top-notch tour guide are the same traits that make an exceptional teacher.

First, and probably most importantly, the tour guide must be likable. It’s imperative to be warm and friendly, because it’s just human nature to respond more positively to someone you like. Both the tour guide and the teacher are more successful if they set a relaxed tone right away. They let it be known they are approachable, they are glad to see you, and they are excited to share a part of their day with you. I think sometimes we educators forget how important this quality is to success in the classroom. Tourists will generally attempt to find something of value in the tour guide’s speech, whether the speaker is likable or not, but students won’t always make the effort to bridge that gap.

Secondly, it’s imperative that the tour guide be well-versed in their subject matter. Like the classroom teacher, the tour guide must do their homework! Know your stuff! Furthermore, it’s important to be able to communicate the information in language that’s easy to comprehend. Deliver the material clearly and distinctly, at a suitable volume, using appropriate vocabulary levels, and creating a logical sequence and progression of ideas. If your group can’t hear you or can’t get past your heavy Italian accent, or they don’t believe what you’re saying to them, before long they will meander away to take photos of what appeals to their eye. Sadly, when this happens, they often having no idea what it is they’re taking pictures of.

Thirdly, it’s crucial for both the tour guide and the teacher to be flexible. Things happen! When you find the Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel without any notice, when laborers stage an unexpected shut-down of the metro services, or when you arrive at the funicular only to find it out of order, the tour guide can find their lesson plan for the day derailed. When that happens, the tour guide must extemporaneously construct a workable Plan B. After all, promises have been made that must be kept. Sometimes, like when you’re surprised by a political protest at Piccadilly Circus which blocks your path to your tour bus, you just have to wait it out. You may be half an hour behind schedule, but eventually you’ll be back on track. Excellent teachers and first-rate tour guides are especially adept at reorganizing on the spot.

I have to say, during my travels I have had the good fortune to have really terrific tour guides everywhere that I have gone. I hope that your summer vacation, wherever you travel, is as fabulous as mine have been.

Pennsylvania schoolmaster and US Congressman Andrew R. Brodbeck

Posted on by

Pennsylvania schoolmaster and US Congressman Andrew R. Brodbeck

In our nation’s history many a successful schoolmaster also made a name for himself in the political realm. One of these was Andrew R. Brodbeck, an educator from Pennsylvania who also became a member of the US House of Representatives.

Andrew was born April 11, 1860, in Jefferson, Pennsylvania. The country was just at the brink of the Civil War. As a young man, Andrew first attended and then taught in the public schools of his native York County. His career as an educator there was short, spanning the years of 1878 to 1880.

In 1880 Andrew moved to Hanover, Pennsylvania, an agricultural borough located 19 miles southwest of York and 54 miles north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, and five miles north of the Mason-Dixon line. In Hanover Andrew established himself in a business that sold farm implements and fertilizer. During his years there, the former teacher served as a member of the board of directors of various business enterprises. Andrew’s career as an entrepeneur lasted until 1896, when he left the business to accept a position as the sheriff of York County. He served in that position until 1899.

Andrew was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent Pennsylvania’s 20th District in the 63rd Congress. After he served his term, he was voted out of office, but in 1918 he was re-elected to serve a second term in the 65th Congress. In 1920, Andrew further served his constituents as a delegate at large at the 1920 Democratic National Convention.

Andrew passed away on February 27, 1937, in Hanover. He was 76 years old. The former educator and politician was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Carverton, Pennsylvania.

To view this chalkboard champion’s page on the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, click on this link: .