Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

CA teacher and poet Elmo Kelley guides his students in writing their own poetry

Posted on by
Reply

Elmo Kelley, an elementary school teacher from Fontana, California, is a published poet. He guides his young students in exploring and publishing their own poetry. Photo Credit: Fontana Unified School District

There are many talented teachers who bring their artistic talents into the classroom to benefit their young students. One of these is elementary school teacher Elmo Kelley from Fontana in Southern California. He is the author of two books of poems, and he uses his expertise as a published poet to guide and inspire his young students towards writing their own volumes of poetry.

Elmo is a California native who is the son of two teachers. His wife is also an educator. He has been writing poetry ever since he discovered his passion for the art form as a college student 30 years ago.

Elmo published his first book of poems, entitled Traveling Through My Mind, Volume 1, in 2022. He published his second book, Traveling Through My Mind, Volume 2, in June, 2024. He is also a member and the moderator of the Poet Tree Press page on Facebook, and he is a member of the Invisible Poets page, also on Facebook, where he posts new poems on a regular basis. In addition, he occasionally posts work on a private group website frequented by teachers who work in the Fontana Unified School District.

Elmo teaches second graders at Cypress Elementary School in Fontana. He has been teaching there for the past 27 years. This year, he guided his students in writing poems and completing drawings about their favorite food which they titled My Favorite Foods. The finished volume was made available to Elmo’s students and their families.

“We had a lot of fun with that book,” declared Elmo. “Writing poetry is a new concept for second graders,” he continued, “so my advice to them was just to be very descriptive and write like no one really knows what the subject is about.” The experience proved to be a valuable learning experience for the neophyte poets. “Some of the kids were advanced and some struggled, but everyone was represented in the book,” Elmo concluded.

Former First Lady Laura Bush was also a teacher and school librarian

Posted on by
Reply

Former First Lady Laura Bush also served her community as a teacher and a school librarian in her home state of Texas. 

Laura Bush was just seven years old when she informed her parents that she wanted to be a teacher. And she never wavered from her decision. Before she became the nation’s First Lady, she served her community as a teacher and school librarian.

Like many teachers, Laura felt a calling to the teaching profession. As a youngster, she enjoyed lining up her dolls in the pretend classroom she established in her bedroom. There she and her childhood playmates would play school for hours on end.

Laura earned her degrees from Southern Methodist University, where she majored in Elementary Education and completed her student teaching semester. She inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Dallas Public Schools system.  At the tend of the school year, Laura moved to Houston, where she taught second grade at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

After three years as a classroom teacher, Laura returned to college to earn her Master’s degree in Library Science. This done, she accepted a position as a children’s librarian at a public library in Houston, a job which suited her well. But she missed working in schools.

The following year she became a school librarian, working at a school with an inner-city population. Apparently, the students there were tough. One of Laura’s former colleagues described the future First Lady. She said, “She was friendly and very loving but very firm. She had her rules…and you followed them.”

Laura has said that she believes that children need dedicated teaches in their lives. She has often said, “Teachers have a more profound impact on our society and culture than any other profession.”

To read more about Laura Bush and her career as an educator, check out this book, From Classroom to White House: The President and First Ladies as Students and Teachers, by James McMurtry Longo, available on amazon.

TX elementary science teacher Amber Chalmers earns recognition from STAT

Posted on by
Reply

Teacher Amber Chalmers has been named the 2024 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Science Teachers Association of Texas. Photo Credit: Lancaster Independent School District

I am always happy to share the story of a teacher who has earned accolades for their work with young people. Today, I share the story of Amber Chalmers, an elementary school teacher from Lancaster, Texas. She has been named named the 2024 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT).

Amber teaches science to fifth graders at Spring Houston Elementary School in Houston, Texas. She has taught there for the past eight years. She believes science is not just a subject, but a way of thinking and exploring the world around us. She encourages her students to think of science beyond just the end-of-year exams and to find creative ways to approach science. When she’s not in the classroom, Amber serves as a mentor to other elementary science teachers within her district.

“Learning science now is vastly different than when I was a student many years ago,” asserts Amber. “I could never get into it as a kid, so now I make it a mission for my students to find joy in science,” she reveals. “They love doing hands-on experiments, but I take it further and engage the students in discussion following each experiment or lab. The discussions are vital because they allow the students to dive deeper into why something happened and then make connections to real-world situations outside of the classroom,” she continues. She says the students absorb the concept even more than they normally would following the discussion because they all bring different perspectives and experiences to the conversation.

Amber earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from Prairie View A&M in 2005. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas, Arlington, in 2009.

With her STAT recognition comes an additional honor. Amber has been named one of six state finalists for a prestigious 2024 PAEMST (Presidential Award fir Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

 

Former elem teacher Susie Fishbein becomes famous author of Jewish kosher cookbooks

Posted on by
Reply
Susie Fishbein

Susie Fishbein: Former elementary school teacher and celebrated author of Jewish kosher cookbooks. Photo Credit: Grow and Behold Kitchen

Many gifted classroom teachers also make a name for themselves in professions outside of the classroom. This is true of Susie Fishbein, an elementary school teacher who is also a famous author of Jewish kosher cookbooks.

Susie was born Susan Beth Fishbein in Oceanside, New Jersey, in 1968. She was raised in a strictly kosher household. After her graduation from high school, she earned her Bachelor’s degree and then her Master’s degree in Science Education. Following her college graduation, Susie taught fourth-grade science in a public school in Oceanside for four years.

In 2000, when her first child was a student at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, New Jersey, Susie co-edited The Kosher Palette: Easy and Elegant Modern Kosher Cooking, a community cookbook produced as a fundraiser. Within two years, the book had gone through four printings and sold 36,000 copies.

After the success of this project, Susie decided to improve her knowledge of cooking. She took lessons and collected recipes from a number of professional chefs. She then produced a series of kosher cookbooks of her own she named the Kosher By Design series. Between 2003 and 2016, Susie wrote nine cookbooks in the series. The recipes appeal to an audience of American Jewish women who want to produce contemporary kosher meals.

While she was writing her cookbook series, Susie also established herself as a celebrity chef, appearing at cooking demonstrations at Jewish events, bake sales, food festivals, and kosher cruises. In addition to her cooking demonstrations, Susie has led “culinary tours” to Israel, France, Italy, and other international destinations. This summer, she launched a culinary institute for kids for the New Jersey Y Camps.

Susie’s efforts have garnered media attention and honors. She has been a featured guest on many TV and radio shows, and she was named to the Forward 50 as one of the most influential Jews in America. She has been featured at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Disneyworld. In addition, she was an honored guest at the White House in recognition of National Jewish Heritage Month.

CA TK teacher Katie Bezayiff earns honor for using Reggio system in her classroom

Posted on by
Reply
Katie Photo Credit:

Transitional kindergarten teacher Katie Bezayiff has been honored by the California League of Educators (CLE) as a 2024 Educator of the Year. Photo Credit: CLE

Congratulations go to elementary school teacher Katie Bezayiff from Fullerton, California. She is one of two educators who have been honored by the California League of Educators (CLE) as a 2024 Educator of the Year. The other educator is middle school teacher Mucio Vidales.

Every year, the CLE recognizes teachers, administrators, counselors, and other certificated personnel for demonstrating excellence in educational practices.

Katie teaches Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at Maple Elementary School. This forward-thinking teacher has organized her classroom according to precepts developed by Italian educators in the Italian city of Reggio. The system advances the idea that children are naturally curious and capable learners, and the classroom environment should encourage active participation, imaginative play, and social interaction. Such environments are especially beneficial for young children, helping them develop essential skills in critical thinking, creativity, and social-emotional learning. “In the Reggio philosophy, the learning environment is the third teacher,” explains Katie.

Even though her students are very young, Katie designs lessons for them that use inquiry-based investigations in science, project-based learning, and holistic education. Using these strategies, Katie is able to guide her students towards reading at or above the kindergarten grade level, even though they arrive in her classroom with various levels of reading readiness. The students also develop excellent academic vocabulary skills, and show strong numeracy skills in math.

Katie is also a leader in her district. She serves as a member of the Community Schools Steering Committee. For the past three years she has also chaired the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team.

“This recognition not only celebrates my efforts, but also acknowledges the positive impact I strive to make on the young minds in my classroom and at my school,” declares Katie.