I enjoy reading and researching stories about remarkable teachers. So it is no surprise that I was fascinated by a book that tells anecdotes about our nation’s presidents and first ladies, and their experiences as students and as teachers. The book is called From Classroom to White House by James McMurtry Longo, published in 2012.

This little volume describes the educational issues the presidents addressed during their White House years, the prevailing issues in education during their period in history, and a general overview of American schools over time.

I enjoyed reading about presidents and first ladies who had been teachers before they became residents in the White House. I am fascinated by the tales of President Lyndon Johnson as a teacher of middle school immigrants in southern Texas. And I also enjoyed the stories about First Ladies Laura Bush and Pat Nixon. Most especially, I was intrigued by the story of First Lady, Grace, who met her husband Calvin Coolidge while working as a teacher in the Clarke School for the Deaf in Massachusetts.

While reading this book, I learned so many interesting personal details about our presidents as students. For example, I was amazed to learn that John F. Kennedy’s teacher said he could “seldom locate his possessions,” and that the teacher of George H.W. Bush described the young student as “somewhat eccentric,” and that Bill Clinton’s sixth-grade teacher called him a “motormouth.”

If you’re a teacher as intrigued by presidential history as I am, you’ve got to read  From Classroom to White House, which can easily be found on amazon.com.

Even during the current coronavirus pandemic, and perhaps especially because of it, parents and students all over the country are particularly appreciative of their teachers right now. We don’t need the annual Teacher Appreciation Week to remind us of how wonderful this group of people are!

This year, the celebration will take place from May 4 to May 8. When thinking about the best way to honor your teacher, or your child’s teacher, or friends and family members that are teachers, or someone you know that is going into the profession, consider gifting them with copies of these inspirational books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. The books make great reading now, while educators are considering new and innovative ways to work with their students. They are also appealing to history buffs and social scientists.

Each volume is packed with inspirational stories about remarkable educators in American history and the historical implications of their pioneering work. Among the captivating stories in Chalkboard Champions is the story of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who volunteered to teach emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman, and educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who, together with her students, defied Jim Crow laws to integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for thousands of Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the East LA educator who proved to that inner city Latino youths could successfully meet the demands of a rigorous curriculum.

In Chalkboard Heroes, you’ll find about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa, all of whom put themselves at risk to fight for improved conditions for disenfranchised citizens. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican american War raged around her.

All these remarkable stories and more can be shared with someone you know this year on Teacher Appreciation Week!

Many teachers currently find themselves suddenly at home in quarantine from the coronavirus, and are looking for quality reading materials. I suggest you pick up a copy of one or both of my books. My first book is Chalkboard Champions: Twelve Remarkable Teachers Who Educated America’s Disenfranchised Students. My second book is Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and their Deeds Valor.

These volumes present inspirational life stories about some of America’s most amazing teachers. These educators were not only talented teachers, but they were also pioneers, trailblazers, and social reformers influential in America’s history.

I love to tell stories about outstanding teachers. There are so many phenomenal stories that could be told! I believe that teachers represent the best our country has to offer, and, as a group, they are among the most dedicated, hardworking, and talented people anyone can know. It fills me with joy to be able to share the stories of just a few of the amazing individuals who have made such significant contributions to the lives of so many. And it fills me with pride to know that, every day, talented educators all over the country are making significant contributions to the lives of their students.

These stories will enthrall you, inspire you, and maybe suggest a teaching strategy or two that you can use to improve your own teaching practice. Both are available on amazon.com at a reasonable price. Enjoy!