Educator Brittany Larsen of North Dakota earns a coveted Milken Award

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Tiffany Larsen

Brittany Larsen, a first grade teacher from Grafton, North Dakota, earns a coveted Milken Award.

Our nation’s students 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 Brittany Larsen, a first grade teacher from Grafton, North Dakota.

Brittany earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2008 from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She earned her Master’s degree in Differentiated Instruction in 2017 from Concordia University.

A native of Grafton, this amazing educator has taught first grade at Century Elementary School in her home town for the past ten years. Brittany continuously strives for improvement in her instruction, and she differentiates her instruction to meet the needs of each student. In addition, this amazing professional educator mentors new teachers, models lessons for other instructors, and she serves on leadership committees for curriculum, assessments, and special education.

Brittany says she loves to come to school every day, where she instills a sense of family in her students. She says her goal is to make sure students “know they are loved, they are safe, and they will be engaged throughout the day.” Knowing they are loved “is everything. Learning comes second,” she asserts. “They need the feeling of security. Otherwise they cannot focus,” she concludes.

“Brittany’s commitment, consideration, and dedication to the students in her class is a true reflection of the type of person she is,” comments Darren Albrecht, Superintendent of Grafton Public Schools. “Brittany is truly deserving of this recognition, and we thank her for everything she does for students and families.”

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. Brittany is one of up to 40 educators, and the only one from North Dakota, who received the Milken Educator Award for the 2018-2019 year. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Ellen spotlights Special Ed teacher Jenna Albi of New Jersey

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You have to love daytime talk show host and actress Ellen DeGeneres for her unwavering support for teachers. In this video clip from her show aired January 3, 2019, Ellen singles out fourth grade special education teacher and cheerleading coach Jenna Albi from Lawrence Township, New Jersey. Watch:

Diary of frontier teacher Anna Webber describes conditions in Kansas prairie schools

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Frontier teacher Anna Webber of Kansas leaves a diary that describes her classroom experiences and conditions in her prairie school.

There are many fascinating stories in American history of remarkable young women who taught school on the Western frontier. One of these was Anna Webber, an elementary school teacher from Kansas. Anna left behind a diary of her classroom experiences which describe the typical conditions of prairie schools.

Anna Webber was born in Breckenridge, Kansas, on September 16, 1860. Her parents, William Ellsworth and Thankful Delila Webber, moved to Iowa shortly after Anna’s birth because of economic pressures. They lived there until Anna’s mother passed away in 1872.  Anna’s father remarried and moved his new wife and children back to Kansas the following year.

Not much is known about Anna’s childhood. Historical records show that she attended school in Mitchell County, and in the spring of 1881 she travelled to Beloit where she passed her teacher’s examination. 

The young teacher inaugurated her professional career in 1881 in a small town in Mitchell County, Kansas. The town was was a growing community of farmers and railroad workers. Eleven boys and five girls were enrolled on her first day at Blue Hill School. Her students ranged in age from six to thirteen years, and the school term was three months in  length. Anna’s one-room school house was constructed from sod, and the furnishings were sparse. There was one chair for the teacher, and the students sat on benches made of lumber boards balanced on rocks. 

Anna taught school in Blue Hills and in two nearby Kansas counties throughout the 1880’s. In June, 1890, she accepted a position at the Kansas Industrial School where she taught home economics courses. That same year she met Robert Gravatt, and the two were married on February 5, 1891.

Anna kept a diary of her experiences as a frontier teacher which has been edited by Lila Gravatt Scrimsher. The diary was published as “The Diary of Anna Webber: Early Day Teacher of Mitchell County” in Kansas Historical Quarterly in 1972. You can read the publication online at Anna Webber’s Diary.

You can read more about this remarkable teacher in the book Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West by Chris Enss. You can also read the article “Wild Women of the West: Anna Webber,” also by Chriss Enss, published online at Cowgirl Magazine.