Tag Archives: African American Teachers

Iowa STEM educator Katrina Williams earns AIAA 2022 Trailblazing Award

Posted on by

Middle school mathematics teacher Katrina Williams from Ames, Iowa, earned a coveted 2022 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award. Photo credit: Ames Tribune

Many hardworking educators create innovative STEM programs for their eager learners. One of these is Katrina Williams, a middle school teacher from Iowa whose innovative curriculum earned her a coveted 2022 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award from the Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This award celebrates five K-12 educators from around the country who have gone above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

As part of her AAIA award, Katrina received $5,000, and an additional $5,000 went to her school. In addition, she received free access to Challenger Center STEM programming which supplements classroom lessons through Earth and space-themed journeys. The programming includes hands-on, simulated learning experiences; Center Missions delivered at Challenger Learning Centers around the globe; Virtual Missions delivered by Challenger Learning Center Flight Directors; and digital experiences delivered by teachers in their classrooms. To learn more about the Trailblazer Award, click on this link to AIAA.

Katrina’s career as an educator spans 28 years. Currently, she teaches mathematics at Ames Middle School in Ames, Iowa. The honored teacher is enthusiastic about connecting real-world STEM careers and lessons to her classroom. She has made it her mission to expose underserved and under-represented students to STEM disciplines and careers. But her work to support learners goes beyond her classroom walls. In order to expand her students’ experiences, she frequently hosts STEM-focused after-school activities, field trips, and career expos.

Garnering an AIAA award is not the only recognition Katrina has earned. In Dec. 2022, she was named to the She was also an Academic Advisor at Iowa State University and a former Director of the Mathematics Laboratory at Spelman College. And she is a 2021-2022 Iowa’s Fierce and Fearless STEM Teacher Recipient and a Code.org Computer Science (CS) Discoveries Iowa educator.

Katrina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and her Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. Katrina is a member of EDGE-Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education. She is a certified gifted educator and certified SPED-Special Education educator.

 

Educator Horatio Strother published volume about Underground Railroad

Posted on by

Educator Horatio Strother of Connecticut published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. Photo: Wesleyan University Press

Many excellent educators have also authored influential books. One of these was Horatio Strother, a history teacher who published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut.

Horatio was born on Feb. 1, 1930, in Harlem, New York. As a very young child, his family relocated to Middleton, Connecticut. There he attended Woodrow High School. In addition to his studies there, he excelled in athletics, including football and track and field. In fact, he he set a state record in the broad jump. In 1950, Horatio enlisted in the US Air Force and served four years of active duty in the Korean Conflict.

When his military service was completed, Horatio earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1956 and his Master’s degree in History in 1957, both from the University of Connecticut. During college, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National Horos Society of History.

Once he earned his degrees, Horatio taught briefly at Killingsworth Elementary School. In 1959, he transferred to Nathan Hale-Ray High School in Moodys section of East Haddam. There he taught history and served as the Chair of the Social Studies Department. Later, Horatio taught history at South Central Community College in New Haven, where he earned a promotion to Assistant Professor.

Horatio spent years conducting research and collecting oral history interviews related to the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. This research culminated in a scholarly work that was published by Wesleyan University Press in 1962. The volume, regarded as the definitive text on the Underground Railroad in Connecticut, is still in print and is held in the collections of nearly 2,000 libraries around the country.

Sadly, Horatio Strother drowned on Sept. 14, 1974, while swimming in Hidden Lake near his home. He was only 44 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to the Haddam Killingworth News.

Former Connecticut teacher Jahana Hayes now serves in the US House of Reps

Posted on by

Former Social Studies teacher Jahana Hayes of Connecticut now serves in the US House of Representatives. Photo Credit: US Home of Representatives

Many talented educators have gone from the classroom into successful careers in politics. One of these is Johana Hayes, a former high school Social Studies teacher from Connecticut who currently represents her state in the US House of Representatives.

Jahana was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on March 8, 1973. Because her mother was a drug addict, she was raised by her grandmother, and they lived in public housing projects in Waterbury. Even though Jahana became a teen mother at age 17, she overcame her obstacles and worked hard in school. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Southern Connecticut State and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Saint Joseph. In 2014, she earned her Sixth-Year Certificate from the University of Bridgeport School of Education. In 2015, she earned her certification in Intermediate Administration or Supervision from the State of Connecticut.

After earning her degree, Jahana accepted her first teaching position at Southbury Training School in Connecticut. Later she relocated to John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, where she taught Government and History. There she also served as the co-adviser of HOPE, a student service club and as the Chairperson of the Kennedy SOAR Review Board, a program for gifted students.

Jahana’s hard work in the classroom did not go unnoticed. In 2015, she garnered the John F. Kennedy Teacher of the Year award, and then the Waterbury School District Educator of the Year honors. In 2016, the teacher with the dazzling smile was named the state of Connecticut Teacher of the Year. That same year, President Obama recognized her as the US Department of Education’s National Teacher of the Year.

In 2018, Johana entered politics when she was elected to the US House of Representatives representing her state’s 5th Congressional District. She was re-elected in both 2020 and 2022. There she serves as the Chair on the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations; and she also serves on the Committee on Education and Labor; the Committee on Agriculture; the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education; and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services. She is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Even though Jahana is a working US Representative, she is still a member of the National Education Association, and as a big supporter of labor unions, she is a former member of the Service Employees International Union 1199.

Texas educator Monica Washington inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

Posted on by

Former high school English teacher Monica Washington from Texarkana, Texas, is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame.  Photo Credit: Linked In

Congratulations to educator Monica Washington, a former English teacher from Texarkana, Texas. She is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Monica inaugurated her career as a teacher in 1998 at an inner-city school in Memphis, Tennessee. After transferring to Texas High School in Texarkana, she taught English and AP English and served as the Department Chair at Texas High School for nine years there. During her career, she has also served as a a coordinator for the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and a REACH co-ordinator on her campus. Over the course of her 20-year career, she has taught grades 7-12.

Monica once confessed that she has wanted to be a educator since she was a child. She revealed that when she was young, she taught teddy bears in her room and later “tortured” friends from her neighborhood with lessons on her porch. She says that the encouragement to learn and teach came from her mother and other teachers in her life.

In addition to her work at Texas High, Monica is an adjunct professor at both LeMoyne-Owen College and Texarkana College. She is member of the NEA Foundation Board and chairs the NEA Teacher Advisory Committee. She has also co-chaired the Leading the Profession Committee for the Texas State Teachers Association. Additionally, she has served in the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. And, as if all this were not enough, she is also an instructional coach for BetterLesson.

The honor she has garnered from the NTHF is not the only recognition Monica has received. She was selected the Texas State Teacher of The Year in 2014. The same year, she garnered the Ermalee Boice Instructional Advocacy Award and an NAACP Special Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named a Lowell Milken Center Unsung Hero Fellow. The same year she was selected as a NEA Foundation Global Fellow and travelled to Peru to study the educational system there. In 2022, she was selected a Voices for Honest Education Fellow. In this role, Monica

Monica earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from LeMoyne-Owen College in 1998. She earned her Master’s degree in English from the University of Memphis in 2003. She completed the requirements for a degree as a Specialist in Education from Walden University in 2019.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia in 1989 to honor outstanding educators through a recognition program and museum. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades pre K-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.

 

Brittany Bonnaffons named Louisiana’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Louisiana math teacher Brittany Bonnaffons has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: St. Charles Herald Guide

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. One of these is Brittany Bonnaffons, a secondary mathematics teacher from Luling, Louisiana. She has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Brittany teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 at Hahnville High School in the St. Charles Parish Public School District. In a career that has spanned 12 years, she has taught at Hahnville for five years. Her teaching philosophy is that mathematics teaches students reasoning, problem-solving skills, and perseverance, while working collaboratively teaches them the importance of being able to work well with others. Under her guidance, her students, who before entering her classroom had not scored satisfactorily on their middle school standardized tests, have improved their scores by leaps and bounds. “My goal is to bring out the best in students,” asserts Brittany. “Yes, I want to teach them math, but I also want to teach them how to find their gifts and use those gifts to make a difference,” she continues. “Making a difference requires making connections with students and to help other teachers do the same. We are all better together,” she concludes.

Not only does Brittany teach math, but she also serves as the Head Coach for her school’s boys and girls track team. Since she accepted the position in 2018, her athletes have captured four District team championships and have placed as regional runner-ups twice. In addition, she has led more than 50 individuals to District medals, more than 30 individuals to regional medals, and more than 10 athletes to state medals.

In addition to her selection as Louisiana’s State Teacher of the Year, Brittany was selected as one of 22 educators from across the state to serve on the Louisiana Department of Education 2022-2023 Teacher Advisory Council.

Brittany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University. She earned her Master’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, and a second Master’s in Teaching from Northwestern University.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to an article about her published by Louisiana Life.