Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Victoria Soto: A Chalkboard Hero of Sandy Hook Elementary

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First grade teacher Victoria Soto lost her life while protecting her students from during the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Photo credit: My Hero Project

It is a sad fact that a number of American educators have been put in the unenviable position of protecting their students from active shooters. They are sometimes injured or killed while sheilding their students. One of these teachers was Victoria Soto, a first grade teacher who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.

Victoria Soto was born on November 4, 1985, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  In 2003, she graduated from Stratford High School located in Stratford, Connecticut. Following her graduation, she enrolled in Eastern Connecticut State University. There she earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in History and Education, with honors. She also took courses towards her Master’s degree at Southern Connecticut State University.

Once she earned her teaching credentials, Victoria accepted a position as an elementary teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. On December 14, 2013, Victoria was engaged in teaching her first grade class when gunman Adam Lanza burst into the school wielding several weapons and looking for victims. He started shooting. Staff and students heard Lanza discharging his weapons over the school public address system. By the time the gunman made his way to her classroom, Victoria had been able to hide her children in a closet. When confronted by Lanza, Victoria told him the students had been sent to the school gym. But some of the children were too afraid to stay hidden. When they ran from their hiding place, the shooter began to fire at them. In a supreme act of heroism, Victoria threw herself between Lanza and the children. In so doing, she sustained a fatal gunshot wound.

Victoria was only 27 years old when she was killed. Her career spanned five years. The Chalkboard Champion was laid to rest in Union Cemetery Stratford in Fairfield County, Connecticutt.

In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Victoria a Presidential Citizens Medal posthumously. The medal honors Americans who have performed “exemplary deeds of service” for their country or fellow citizens. The medal is is the government’s second-highest civilian award.

Read more about this amazing educator in this online article entitled “The Teacher as Hero.”

Elem educator Megan Johnson named Indiana’s 2026 State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary teacher Megan Johnson of Plainfield, Indiana, has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Indiana Department of Education

It is always exciting to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. Today I share the story of Megan Johnson, an elementary teacher from Indiana. She has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Megan teaches fourth grade at Central elementary School in Plainfield. Her career as an educator spans 18 years. In her classroom, Megan creates lessons that encourage student-centered learning, critical thinking, collaboration, and connections to real-world issues. She also leads efforts to implement evidence-based reading and writing strategies.

To Megan, reading competency is of paramount importance. “Research has shown that if a fourth grader does not have the necessary pillars in place to read well, their chances of success after high school are slim,” she declares. “I cannot let students leave my classroom without an opportunity to succeed.” To help students increase their reading skills, Megan uses learning bags filled with active tools, such as color-changing pens and sensory objects, to help students build literary competency.

Megan reveals she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, she loved school. She remembers that her teachers helped her build confidence and discover her talents, despite being a student who often blended in, she continues. “I realized that what I loved most was the relationships and the sense of belonging that school created,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be part of giving that same experience to my own students one day,” she concludes.

Megan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Ball State University in 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Indiana Wesleyan University. In addition, she has earned an endorsement in Early Literacy.

Read more about Megan Johnson in this article published by Town Post Network.

 

VA teacher Clara Byrd Baker was also a civic leader and suffragist

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Clara Byrd Baker

Elementary school teacher Clara Byrd Baker of Virginia worked tirelessly to improve social conditions in her community as a civic leader and suffragist. Photo credit: Hampton University

There are many examples of talented classroom teachers who have worked tirelessly to improve social conditions in their community. One of these is Clara Byrd Baker, an elementary school teacher from Virginia who has earned a reputation as an outstanding civic leader and suffragette.

Clara was born on June 22, 1886, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her parents were Charles and Malvina Carey Byrd. As a young woman, Clara enrolled in Hampton Institute. She also attended Virginia State College for Negroes, now known as Virginia State College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education. She was only 16 years old at the time.

After earning her degree, Clara launched her career as an educator in 1902 when she accepted a position as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in James City County, Virginia. In 1920, she became a teacher at a public training school for African American students. Later, she joined the faculty at Bruton Heights School in Williamsburg. After a career in the classroom that spanned an amazing 50 years, Clara retired in 1952.

Throughout her life, even during the years she taught school, Clara served as a leader in Williamsburg’s African American community. She worked to expand educational opportunities for students, to improve inter-racial relations, and to secure the vote for women. In fact, after the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, Clara became the first woman in Williamsburg to vote.

For her efforts, Clara earned numerous accolades. In 2007, she was honored by the Virginia State Library and Archives as an African American Trailblazer. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation recognized her achievements in 2011. The Virginia State University Alumni Association gave her a Meritorious Service Award and named her their Alumni of the Year. In 1989, a newly-built elementary school in Williamsburg was named in her honor.

Clara Baker Byrd passed away on October 20, 1979, at the age of 93. She is interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg.

ELEM teacher Shelly Teel named finalist for 2026 Florida State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Shelly Teel has been named a finalist for 2026 Florida State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Florida Department of Education

Many exceptional educators work with young people in American schools, and occasionally one of them is singled out for special recognition. One of these is Shelly Teel, an elementary school teacher from Florida. She has been named one of five finalists for her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Florida State Department of Education.

Shelly teaches third graders at Westside Elementary School in Columbia County, where she grew up. She is known for her use of holistic and inclusive teaching practices, building strong student-teacher relationships, and a strong sense of community.

“I use small groups to drive everything that I do,” reveals Shelly, “so if I teach it whole group, I’m re-teaching it in small group, and that gives me a chance to interact with my kids on every single standard,” she continues. Shelly also provides after-school tutoring.

Shelley’s expertise as an educator and communicator is widely known. “Mrs. Teel possesses a remarkable ability to make learning both fun and engaging,” declares Columbia County School Superintendent Keith Couey. “She is a truly exceptional educator whose dedication, passion and ability to connect with students sets her apart,” he continues.

Shelly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from St. Leo University. She has also earned her certification in English for Speakers of Other Languages and she is certified in Reading.

The 2026 Florida Teacher of the Year state finalists were selected from nearly 175,000 public school teachers. The criteria used to select these exemplary teachers includes an outstanding ability to teach and communicate knowledge of the subject taught, professional learning, and outstanding school and community service. The winner will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education.

 

Letha Raney, long-time educator and pioneering principal, served in Southern California public schools

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Long-time teacher and principal Letha Raney was a pioneering educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District located  in Corona, in Southern California. Photo credit: From One Room…The 125-Year History of Corona-Norco-Eastvale Schools.

Many excellent teachers have served students in our nation’s public schools. One of these was Letha Raney, an honored elementary teacher and pioneering principal in Corona in Southern California.

Letha was born in Albany, Oregon, on Nov. 29, 1894. As her young child, she traveled to Corona, California, in a covered wagon with her parents, her sister, and four brothers. The family arrived in Corona by 1897. She attended elementary and secondary schools in the Corona Norco School District. In 1912, graduated as one of 19 members of the first graduating class  from Corona High School.

Once she earned her high school diploma, Letha completed courses in teacher training from Los Angeles State Normal School, which later became UCLA in 1919. She inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position at Rugby School in the Temescal Valley on the outskirts of Corona. By 1918, Letha was working as the principal of Washington Grammar School, the first woman principal in the Corona Norco Unified School District. By 1923, she became the principal of newly-established Corona Junior High School. She served there until her retirement in 1952. (By the way, this is the school where I began my own teaching career in 1981. I taught there for eight years!)

Letha Raney dedicated her entire professional life to educating Corona’s children. In recognition of her work and impact in the community, the Corona Norco School District built a new junior high school in 1966 and dedicated the building as Letha Raney Junior High School in her honor. She attended the cornerstone ceremony for the new school when construction first started. A time capsule was placed in the wall describing her achievements in education, but the capsule has, up to this date, not been opened.

Sadly, this remarkable Chalkboard Champion passed away on Dec. 14, 1983, in Orange, California. She is interred in Corona.