Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Cherie Bonder Goldman garners 2022 Georgia State Teacher of the Year honors, yet education is her second career

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Elementary teacher Cherie Bonder Goldman of Savannah, Georgia, has been named her state’s 2022  Teacher of the Year. Yet teaching is a second career for the honored educator. Photo Credit: The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Many excellent educators come to the classroom years after establishing successful careers in the private sector. One of these is Cherie Bonder Goldman, an elementary school teacher in Georgia who originally worked in the advertising industry. Teaching may be Cherie’s second career, but clearly education is her calling. She is so good at the job that she has garnered the title of 2022 Georgia State Teacher of the Year!

Cherie was born to a Jewish family in New York and was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Japanese from Georgetown University in 1993, and her Master’s degree in East Asian studies from Stanford University in 1995. Originally her goal was to become a Japanese language teacher. Unfortunately, jobs in that field were scarce, and so she accepted a position in advertising, first working on the Toyota account at Saatchi & Saatchi, and then working on the Clorox account at DDB Worldwide Communications Group.

Despite her success in the corporate world, deep down inside Cherie knew she belonged in the classroom. After she moved to Savannah, Georgia, she enrolled at Armstrong Atlantic State University, where she earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She also completed coursework to become an Education Specialist in Teacher Leadership from Mercer University in 2019.

Cherie launched her career as an educator when she accepted a position with Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, first at White Bluff Elementary, and then at Hesse K-8 School, where she has taught for the last 12 years. She currently teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages.

“I always strive to make content personally relevant so students never ask, ‘What’s the point?'” declares Cherie. for example, “In math, we design dream homes, calculating area for carpet and perimeter for fencing. In writing, we pen letters to the principal supporting or disagreeing with school uniforms so students understand the exponential power of well-articulated opinions,” she says. “When students connect content to their world, education transcends the classroom,” Cherie concludes.

At Hesse, in addition to her work int he classroom, Cherie serves on the Leadership Team and chairs the Schoolwide Writing Team. She has also served as a grade level-lead, the Site-based Induction Specialist, the Professional Learning Liaison, and a School Council member.

For her exemplary work in the classroom, Cherie has garnered honors as the 2022 Georgia State Teacher of the Year. In this role, she has chaired a task force established to investigate the root causes of teacher burnout and to make actionable suggestions for improvement to state and local policy makers.

Teacher Abby Hemenway a pioneer in publishing

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Abby Hemenway, who once taught school in Michigan, earned acclaim as an author and pioneering publisher of local histories. Photo Credit: Public Domain

Abby Hemenway, a 19th-century educator in Michigan, earned acclaim as an author and pioneering publisher of local histories. Because of her efforts, the concept of history as a social science became universally accepted.

Abby was born on Oct. 7, 1828, in Ludlow, Vermont. After her graduation from Black River Academy, she relocated to Michigan in 1853, where she became a teacher. After teaching for three years, she returned to Vermont, where she explored an interest in writing and publishing. In 1858 the former teacher published a volume of poems written by Green Mountain State writers entitled Poets and Poetry of Vermont. The volume enjoyed so much success that Abby founded a new publication, the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, with the goal of publishing a local history for every city and hamlet in her state.

Before Abby’s day, the customary topics for publishing involved biographies of famous military and political men, and stories about the historical events in which they took part. Abby pioneered the practice of chronicling everyday activities of average citizens, rather than focusing only on prominent individuals and events. She published these stories in her Gazetteer.

After 30 years of hard work, six volumes of her Gazetteer were published, all between the years of 1860 and 1892. These volumes include local histories of 13 of the 14 counties in Vermont. The only county not included is Windsor County. The Gazetteer is still used today as the primary resource for 18th and 19th-century Vermont state history. The volumes include valuable information such as the names and terms of service for local office holders, genealogical information for early Caucasian residents, and the names and terms of service for local clergy.

Abby accomplished her goals in a period of time when women were expected to marry and raise families. In fact, she was frequently told that “history is not suitable work for a woman.” Nevertheless, she persevered, despite considerable adversity. Because of her pioneering efforts, the concept of history as a social science is now universally accepted.

Sadly, on Feb., 24, 1890, Abby Hemenway passed away in Chicago, Illinois, after suffering a stroke. She was 61 years old. This Chalkboard Champion’s story is explored more fully in a 2001 biography entitled The Passion of Abby Maria Hemenway by Deborah Picman Clifford.

 

Florida teacher Lori Price garners PAEMST award

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Florida elementary math teacher Lori Price has garnered a prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Photo Credit: Lori Price

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have garnered honors for their work. One of these is Lori Price, an elementary school math teacher from Florida who has been named a recipient of a prestigious PAEMST award.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, honors the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Lori says she feels extremely honored to have been named a recipient of the recognition. “This award reaffirms the importance of building a student-centered community where risk-taking is encouraged and mistakes are seen as important learning opportunities,” she declares.

Lori has been an educator for more than 30 years. She is currently working as a Professional Development coordinator at the Discovery School, a private elementary school located in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that, she taught in St. Johns County District Schools in Ponte Vedra Beach for 16 years. Lori says she strives to inspire all students to see themselves as capable learners with important ideas. She develops lessons that allow her students to engage in tasks that develop conceptual understanding and then use that understanding to derive strategies for solving problems. And she emphasizes cooperative learning. Outside the classroom, Lori founded a Primary Mathematicians Club for primary grade students so they could engage in activities that use real world mathematics.

In addition to her PAEMST, Lori was named the 2020 St. Johns County Teacher of the Year. She also participated in the District Teacher Advisory Group and is a member of the Florida Math Standards Committee. She has also served as the President of the St. Johns County Elementary Math Council and she has led the annual mathematics conference. Furthermore, she has presented on various topics at the state and national levels.

Lori earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She earned her degree in Mathematics at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 2022.

Educator Catherine Bell inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

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For her extensive body of work as an educator, former classroom teacher and administrator Catherine Bell was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Texas Woman’s University

Many excellent educators achieve honors of distinction for their work in the profession. One of these was Catherine Bell, a classroom teacher, administrator, educational innovator, and teachers’ union leader from Texas. For her extensive body of work as an educator, she was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Catherine Bell was born on June 29, 1907, in Groveton, Texas. After her graduation from high school, young Catherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bachelor University. She earned both her Master’s degree and her PhD from the University of Houston, and she also completed courses at the University of Chicago.

After earning her degrees, Catherine accepted a position as a teacher in the Houston Independent School District, where she taught for 11 years. She spent the next four years as a principal at Port Houston Elementary School. She spent 14 years as the District’s Assistant Director of Elementary Education, and then was appointed the Director of Elementary Education, where she served for nine years. In addition, she served as the Area IV Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools, and then as Assistant Superintendent for K-12 Basic Skills. During these years, she co-authored the Developmental Science Series and Skill Building Series books.

In addition to her work as an administrator, Catherine served as a member of the White House Conference on Education in both 1955 and 1960. She represented the United States at The World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession in Paris, Dublin, Abidjan, and Sidney. She was also a member of both the Board of Examiners on Teacher Education and of the Texas Commission on Science. In addition, she was elected president of the Texas State Teachers Association in 1954.

In all, Catherine served as a professional educator for 47 years. She retired in 1976. For her body of work in the field, Catherine was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1984. Kate Bell Elementary School in Houston was named in her honor. She was also named a life member of the Texas State Teachers Association and an Honorary Life Trustee of the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation.

Catherine Bell passed away on Feb. 25, 2003. She was 95 years old.

NH science teacher Tristan Bowen garners prestigious PAEMST honors

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Elementary teacher Tristan Bowen of New Hampshire has garnered a prestigious Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Photo Credit: PAEMST

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Tristan Bowen, an elementary school science teacher from New Hampshire who has garnered a 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

This prestigious award honors the dedication, hard work, and important role that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Tristan has been teaching for 22 years. For the past 15 years, she has taught a self-contained fourth grade class at Riddle Brook School in Bedford, New Hampshire. Previously, she taught for five years at Russell Street Elementary School, and prior to that, she inaugurated her career at Nantucket Middle School, where she taught for two years.

“What sets Tristan apart is her forward-thinking and student engagement abilities, especially in the area of STEM education,” asserts Molly McCarthy, Principal of Riddle Brook School. “She encourages creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving through interest-based learning for her students,” agreed Mike Fournier, Superintendent of the Bedford School District.

This amazing teacher has a passion for writing student-driven science curriculum and is trained in NGSX science curriculum implementation. She mentors teachers on the implementation of NGSX principles, and she aligns and writes Bedford’s science curriculum with NGSX and NGSS standards. To facilitate maximum learning opportunities, Tristan has orchestrated lessons for her students that allow them to connect with scientists both in the community and worldwide.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Tristan serves as a Professional Learning Community Facilitator for her fourth grade team. She is also a member of her school’s Enrichment Committee, which worked hard to initiate the Full STEAM Ahead Day at her school. She is a member of New Hampshire Science Teachers Association and NSTA. Also, she has established a working relationship with University of New Hampshire at Manchester, is a trained STEM docent, and has written a Citizen Science integration curriculum. As if all that were not enough, Tristan has written Wisdom Work Curriculum and has shared the innovative lessons at Southeastern Regional Education Service Center. The lessons were so exceptional that she presented Wisdom Work at the Christa McAuliffe Conference for New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education and at Bedford’s Future Ready Conference.

Tristan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1990, and her Master’s degree from Boston College in 1994. She is certified to teach kindergarten through sixth grade and Moderate Special Needs, kindergarten through ninth grade.

To learn more about Tristan Bowen, see this link to the New Hampshire Department of Education.