Former students gather to honor music teacher Robert Moore

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Every once in a while I stumble upon a heartwarming story about a teacher that just warms my heart. Here is one about Robert Moore, a retired high school music teacher from Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Robert’s 30 year career as an educator began in 1966 and ended when he retired in 1996. He just celebrated his 80th birthday, so as a special surprise, nearly 300 of his former students decided to pay homage to their former music teacher. In an effort that took nearly a year to organize, they traveled from all over the country and from three foreign countries back to their home town of Ponca City. There they rehearsed and performed a surprise tribute concert for Robert. Some of the selections they performed brought Robert to tears, such as “Kumbaya” and the Christmas song “Still, Still, Still.”

Many of the former students described their teacher as a strict disciplinarian who pushed them to perform beyond what they thought they had in themselves. “He expected the best out of us, and therefore we gave the best that we had,” remembered Katy Cutler-Art, class of 1975. “He would stop you in the hall and ask you to sing a specific note,” recalled Susan Clay Vitkavage, class of 1979. Because of Robert’s expert guidance, the Ponca City Chorale won choir competitions all over the country every year that he served as their director. Many of the former students said they pursued successful careers in music or became educators because of the inspiration they gained from Robert.

Despite his rather tough teaching style, Robert obviously still harbors great affection for his former students. “Thank you so much for this,” he told them at the conclusion of the concert. “You’ll never know what it means to me and to my family. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

View this four-minute YouTube video for more about this amazing chalkboard champion. I just recommend you keep the tissue box handy.

 

Social studies teacher Peggy Jackson inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Peggy Jackson

Social studies teacher Peggy Jackson of New Mexico has just been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Those of us in the teaching profession are always delighted when one of our colleagues earns a prestigious honor or award. One teacher who has earned recognition recently is Peggy Jackson, a government and US history teacher who hails from Moriarity, Torrance County, New Mexico.

Peggy earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in 1963. She earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of New Mexico, and a second Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of New Mexico in 2007. That university is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Peggy’s lengthy career as an educator has spanned 35 years. Since 1999 she has taught government and US History at Moriarty High School. Previously she taught Honors English at MacArthur High School and Churchill High School from 1965 to 1973. She then accepted a position to teach English at Hope Christian High School, where she worked from 1989 to 1991. From 1991 to 1999, she was a humanities instructor in the Albuquerque Public Schools.

Peggy actively promotes peer teaching in her classroom. When students teach each other, this “empowers them to value their own learning and to accord respect to their peers,” she declares.

Peggy has earned a great deal of recognition for her work in the classroom. In 2005, she was named New Mexico Social Studies Teacher of the Year, and in 2010, she was recognized as the New Mexico Teacher of the Year. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, from 2016 to 2017 she served as the President of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

To learn more about the National Teachers Hall of Fame, click on this link: NTHF.

Maureen Murphy-Foelkl of Oregon inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Elementary school teacher Maureen Murphy-Foelkl of Salem, Oregon, a 2018 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

It is always wonderful to learn that one our fellow educators has earned a prestigious honor, such as being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. One teacher that was honored in this way just this past June was Maureen Murphy-Foelkl, an elementary school teacher from Salem, Oregon.

Maureen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Oregon State University in 1982. As soon as she graduated, she accepted a position as a K-5 general education teacher with the Salem-Keizer School District in Salem, Oregon. She worked there from 1982 to 2016, at which time she retired. From 2016 to the present, she has worked as a K-5 environmental science teacher at Straub Environmental Center in Salem. In total, Maureen’s career as a professional educator has spanned 32 years.

Maureen believes in the power of a positive attitude. “Teachers need to be inspirational in bringing positive energy into lessons and out into the community,” she declares. “I am constantly seeking instructional inspiration from as many sources as I can locate.” And, clearly, she recognizes the value of the teacher as an instructional leader. “The journey is rewarding, as you positively influence the lives of your students,” she says. “Stay curious. Our children will create our magnificent future, through you, their teacher,” she concludes.

For her work in the classroom, Maureen has earned many awards. In 2017, she garnered the Teacher Innovator Award from the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation, and in 2016, she was given the Don Jeffery Award Lifelong Environmental Educator honors from the Diack Foundation. She earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in mathematics and Science Teaching in 2014, and in 2011, she was honored with the Entomological Foundation’s President’s Prize from the Entomological Society of America. And now she has been recognized by the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame, located in Emporia, Kansas, inducted this year’s five honorees on June 22, 2018. To earn this honor, inductees must have a minimum of 20 years of full-time teaching experience in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms. They must also submit a rigorous nomination packet and video.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame honors the inspirational Jeff Baxter

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Jeff Baxter

The National Teachers Hall of Fame honors high school English teacher Jeff Baxter of Kansas

It is always gratifying to see a colleague recognized for outstanding contributions to the teaching profession. One such teacher is Jeff Baxter, a high school English teacher from Kansas who was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) this past June.

Jeff earned his Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from the University of Kansas in 1971, and his Master’s degree in Secondary Education from the same institution in 1976. He also earned a Juris Doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law in 1985, and he completed post-graduate work at the University of Missouri.

Now 70 years of age, Jeff has spent a total of 30 years as a classroom educator. He currently teaches 12th grade Advanced Placement Literature and Composition at Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas.

Jeff believes working with young people is the noblest profession there is. “By helping them appreciate the value of language, they develop problem-solving habits that make them lifelong learners,” he once declared.

For his excellence as an educator, Jeff has earned many accolades. In 2014, he was named the Kansas Teacher of the Year, and in 2017 he was named Inspirational Teacher of the Year by the Blue Valley West Honor Society. He is also a fellow of the National Writing Project, through which he has presented hundreds of writing workshops to middle and high school teachers and college professors throughout the Midwest. He’s also the 2015 Kansas Global Education Fellow, working with teachers internationally. In fact, in 2015 this amazing educator traveled to South America to work with Peruvian children and teachers.

Jeff is also the author of a book entitled More than One Way Home, a memoir about overcoming setbacks and finding hope. It’s about Jeff’s personal journey overcoming chronic depression and the resultant obesity that developed because of his inability to deal with the deaths of two important individuals in his life. You can find his book on amazon.com.

Elementary school teacher Bradley Upshaw inducted into National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Bradley Upshaw

Elementary school teacher Bradley Upshaw inducted into National Teachers Hall of Fame.

We who are in the teaching profession are always excited when one of our fellow educators earns a prestigious honor. One teacher who has earned recognition this summer is elementary school teacher Bradley Upshaw from Tarzana, California. He has just been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!

Bradley earned his Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts from San Diego State University in 1980. He completed the requirements for his teaching credential at California State University, Northridge, in 1990. In addition, Bradley is a National Board Certified teacher.

Bradley’s impressive career as an educator has spanned 33 years. Since 1985, he has worked as a teacher of the second and third grades at Vanalden Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). This chalkboard champion is obviously well-suited for the important work he does. “I am filled with purpose and joy every day,” Bradley declares. “Every interaction I have with every student is an opportunity to build trust and set higher expectations for what is possible,” he says.

This amazing educator is known to many Vanalden students, both past and present, for his innovative and high-energy instructional methods, including the award-winning videos he creates to showcase his students’ academic and athletic achievements. During the course of his career, Bradley’s students have earned more than 80 awards for video productions from his classroom. “Teaching is storytelling,” Bradley asserts. “There has to be a reason to come to school every day. I want students to know that something great is going to happen, and they don’t want to miss it.”

The National Teachers Hall of Fame, located in Emporia, Kansas, inducts only five teachers per year to be inducted into their Hall. Bradley is the second teacher from the Los Angeles Unified School District to be selected. The first was mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante of Garfield High School, inducted in 1999.