Tag Archives: Celebrity Teachers

Teachers who have become famous for achievements outside the profession of education.

Peter Tork of Monkees fame also taught English, drama, music

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Peter Tork of the 1960s band The Monkeys also spent there years in a California classroom teaching English, drama, and music.  Photo Credit: UK Music Reviews

Former teacher Peter Tork doesn’t Monkee around. But there was a time in his life when he did.

In the mid-1960s, a pop band known as the Monkees hit the music scene with a few songs and a zany television show aimed at American teens. The band became, literally, an overnight sensation. Peter Tork, who played bass guitar and keyboards, was a member of that band. The other three members were Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Michael Nesmith.

Over the next five years, the group attempted to keep up with a whirlwind schedule that included weekly television sitcom episodes, studio recording sessions, national and international concert tours, and a full-length feature movie. The hard work paid off. Since they first hit the scene, the Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest selling groups of all time. Their best known songs are “I’m a Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Daydream Believer,” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”

But the work schedule, creative differences with producer Don Kirshner, and infighting among the band members left Peter exhausted. In December, 1968, he bought out the remaining four years of his contract and left the Monkees. For the next few years, Peter drifted from one gig to another and spent or gave away all his Monkees earnings. By 1975, he’d hit rock bottom.

That’s when, even though he had dropped out of college, Peter accepted a position as a teacher at Pacific Hills School, a private secondary school in Santa Monica, California. He was hired to work there by Dr. Penrod Moss, the school’s director, because Moss was so impressed by Peter’s interview. “I like to hire people who are independent and creative,” Moss explained. “I was impressed by his personality and his ability to talk.” For Peter, a career in the classroom is not so odd when you consider that his father was an economics professor at the University of Connecticut for many years. At Pacific Hills, Peter taught many subjects, including English, math, drama, history, and music. He also served as a baseball coach at several schools. In all, Peter’s career as an educator spanned three years.

In 1986, the Monkees got together again to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band. The following year they released a new studio album which earned measured success. Since then, Peter participated with fellow Monkees in numerous reunion shows and tours, until band member Davy Jones passed away in 2012.

In March, 2009, the former teacher was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, and later that year underwent extensive surgery. Despite being declared cured, ten years later the cancer recurred, and he succumbed to the disease on February 21, 2019. He was 77 years old.

Canada’s Uzma Jalaluddin: English teacher, columnist, TV guest, and novelist

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Uzma Jalaluddin, a high school English teacher in Canada, has earned acclaim as a newspaper columnist, television guest, and author of romance novels. Photo Credit: Uzma Jalaluddin

Many exceptional educators have achieved success in fields outside of the classroom. This is true of Uzma Jalaluddin, a high school English teacher who has earned acclaim as a newspaper columnist, novelist, and television guest.

Uzma was born in 1980. Her parents immigrated to Canada from Hyderabad, India. She was raised in Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto, a place that she describes as “one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet. After earning her degree in English literature from the University of Toronto, she became a high school English teacher at a public school in Toronto, a job she has held since 2003.

Uzma writes regular column about modern Musllim life for Canada’s Toronto Star. The column is entitled Samosas and Maple Syrup. She’s also been a guest on the television show Cityline, speaking on topics related to the Muslim experience. Her debut novel, Ayesha at Last, was published in 2019. The volume has been described as a modern retelling of the Jane Austin novel Pride and Prejudice with a setting in the Muslim community. The effort earned instant acclaim, and was even named the Cosmopolitan UK Book of the Year and a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2019. In addition, this book was long-listed for the Stephen Leacock Medal and the Toronto Book Awards and was short-listed as a Goodreads Reader’s Choice Awards finalist. Her second novel, Hana Khan Carries On, was published in 2021. This book has been described as having been inspired by the blockbuster hit movie You’ve Got Mail, again with a setting in the Muslim community, and was named Best Romance Novel 2021 by the Washington Post.

Uzma credits her upbringing with her success as an author, and she never forgets the value of telling stories. “I grew up surrounded by storytellers; my favorite stories were the ones my mother and my aunts told me, about the strong women they knew in India,” Uzma says. “Like the wealthy widow who used her resources to educate neighborhood women in her own home. Or the female servant who never kept quiet when she witnessed bad behavior,” she continues. “I learned about the power of stories to combat the limiting narratives that are so often used to harm, diminish, and control others. Today I tell stories in my job as a teacher, columnist, and novelist. I do it not just to keep the old tales alive and for the pleasure of making up new stories, but also to remind myself, my children, my readers, who they are and where they come from, and how the stories we listen to influence our lives,” she concludes.

To learn more about this talented teacher and author, click on this link to her website: Uzma Jalaluddin.

Mary Ann Esposito: Teacher, chef, television host, and cookbook author extraordinaire

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Former high school history teacher Mary Ann Esposito became an internationally-renowned chef, television host, and cookbook author. Photo Credit: pdaspeakers.com

Many talented teachers can boast of successes outside of the classroom. This is true of Mary Ann Esposito, a former high school teacher who became an internationally-renowned chef, television host, and cookbook author.

Mary Ann was born on Aug. 3, 1942, in Buffalo, New York. As a young girl, she spent her childhood in the kitchens of both her Italian grandmothers—one from Sicily and the other from Naples—learning their techniques for producing delicious and nutritious Italian dishes.

After her 1960 graduation from St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster, Mary Ann earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1964 from what was then Rosary Hill College in Amherst, New York. The school is now known as Daemen College. She then taught history at the high school level for a few years. After she discovered her passion for Italian cooking, Mary Ann earned a Master’s degree in Food History with a specialty in Italian Renaissance cooking from the University of New Hampshire. That was in 1991.

Mary Ann inaugurated her career as a teacher-chef when she accepted a position to instruct cooking courses through the Continuing Education Department at the University of New Hampshire. In the mid-1980s, she submitted a proposal for a cooking show to New Hampshire Public Television. In 1989, the accomplished educator launched Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, a thirty-minute cooking show produced for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The show, which ultimately ran for 30 years, featured Mary Ann’s recipes and cooking tips and visits from guest chefs. Mary Ann has also appeared on The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, Martha Stewart Radio, the Food Network, the Discovery Channel, FOX, Pax, and RAI International (Italian television). And as if that whirlwind of appearances were not enough, she has also published 13 cookbooks, plus she maintains several social media accounts plus her Ciao Italia website, which features nearly 2,000 recipes, instructional videos, commentaries, cultural facts, and personal stories.

Ever the educator, Mary Ann has taught in numerous cooking schools throughout Italy over the decades. She has also taught an online credit course at Boston University’s Metropolitan Campus, and she has been part of the Seminar in the Arts program for close to 30 years. She is a regular contributor to Boston University’s School of Lifelong Learning program, as well as a Board Member of Cordon Bleu, the Atlantic Culinary Academy, and she is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

For her work in the culinary industry, Mary Ann has earned many accolades. She received Johnson and Wales University’s Distinguished Author Award, and in 2006, St. Anselm College awarded her an honorary doctorate for her dedication to teaching and preserving authentic Italian cuisine. She received the Order of the Star of Italy Cavaliere from the President of the Italian Republic, and the Premio Artusi award for her work in promoting Italian food. The Italian Trade Commission named her a Hall of Fame honoree, and The Order Sons of Italy in America presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Culinary & Cultural Arts of Italy.

To learn more about this remarkable teacher-chef, click on this link to an article published in 2020 by the St. Anthony Messenger. You can also check out her website, Ciao Italia.

 

Famed actress Kate Capshaw is a former Special Ed teacher

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Famed actress Kate Capshaw of Indiana Jones fame is a former Special Education teacher from Texas. Photo Credit: Encyclopedia Britannica

Many talented educators have made their mark in fields other than education. This is certainly true of former teacher Kate Capshaw, a Hollywood actress who is best known for her portrayal of Willie Scott in the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She is famous as an actress in her own right, but she is also well-known for being married to famed director Steven Spielberg.

Kate was born on November 3, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas, of humble origins. Her mother was a travel agent and beautician, and her father was an airline employee. When Kate was only five years old, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where in 1972 she graduated from Hazelwood Central High School.

After her high school graduation, Kate earned a Bachelor’s degree in History Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education, both from the University of Missouri. She accepted her first teaching position as a special education teacher at Southern Boone County High School in Ashland, Missouri. Later she transferred to Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. During her years as an educator, she married and divorced Robert Capshaw, a school principal. The union produced one daughter.

After some years in the classroom, Kate moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting, landing her first role on the soap opera The Edge of Night. She also starred in Dreamscape in 1984, SpaceCamp in 1996, and How to Make an American Quilt in 1995. During the filming of Indiana Jones, Kate began a relationship with Spielberg, which eventually resulted in her conversion to Judaism and her marriage to the director in 1991. The couple have five children in addition to Kate’s daughter from her first marriage.

Former child star Christopher Castile now teaches in California

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Former child star Christopher Castile says teaching is his true calling. He now teaches high school US History in California. Photo Credit: the Downey Legend

Many individuals who are talented actors go on to become excellent classroom teachers. One of these is Christopher Castile, a former child star who now teaches both at the high school and at the college level in California.

Christopher was born on June 15, 1980, in Orange County in Southern California. His career in acting began when he was only seven years old. He did a number of television commercials. But he earned his greatest fame for his role as Ted Newton in the 1992 family comedy Beethoven and the subsequent 1993 sequel Beethoven’s 2nd. He also portrayed Mark Foster in 160 episodes of the hit ABC television sitcom Step by Step. The show ran for seven seasons, from 1992 to 1998. In 1991, Christopher also appeared in three episodes of the ABC sitcom Going Places, where he portrayed Sam Roberts, in addition to numerous other appearances. Christopher also voiced the character of Eugene Horowitz on the Nickelodeon series Hey Arnold!

When Christopher’s career in acting came to a conclusion, he earned first a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree, both from California State University at Long Beach. He then accepted a position at Downey High School in Downey, California, where he currently teaches US History. He also teaches political science courses at Biola University in La Mirada, California.

In addition to acting, Christopher is also an author. He published his autobiography for young adults entitled Being You is Most Definitely Cool in 1996.

Christopher once said that, despite his success as an actor, teaching is his true calling. He revealed that he finds teaching far more fulfilling than acting. He always finds a way to fill his class with humor and a positive environment, he says, and this makes his students pay attention and truly understand the lessons.

He also admits that teaching high school is more challenging than teaching at the college level. “Being a high school teacher, I actually have to be good at what I do,” he confessed. “In college it’s up to the students to get the material. Being a college professor, you don’t necessarily have to be good at teaching, but know what you’re talking about.”

To read more about Christopher Castile, see this story published by The Downey Legend.