Elementary school teacher Cynthia Soule has been named Maine’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: University of Southern Maine.

I always enjoy sharing stories about educators who have earned recognition for their exceptional work in the classroom. One of these is Cynthia Soule, an elementary school teacher from Maine. She has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Cynthia teaches fourth grade at the Gerald E. Talbot Community School in Portland, Maine. In a career that has spanned 21 years, this Chalkboard Champion has worked with many of her community’s most diverse students. She has a reputation for fostering a dynamic learning environment, employing real-world projects that require observation, questioning, and collaborative thinking. She empowers her students to see themselves as meaningful contributors to their community. In her curriculum, she also emphasizes an appreciation for the natural world.

To enrich student learning, Cynthia has established partnerships with community organizations such as Bangor Savings Bank, Side X Side, Maine Audubon, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. She is also a 2020 Funds for Teachers Fellow, and she is a recipient of Portland Education Foundation, TD Bank and DonorsChoose grants.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Cynthia serves as a representative on the Portland Schools Literacy Committee, the Talbot Leadership Team, the Building Steering Committee, the Response to Intervention Team, and the Science Team.

Cynthia’s recognition as Maine’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, is impressive. She has also been named the 2020 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, and she has been nominated as a candidate for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Cynthia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maine at Orono. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Southern Maine.

To read more about Cynthia, see this profile of her published by CCSSO Teacher of the Year.

Sadly, Covid-19 has claimed the life of beloved first grade teacher Carol Zuckerman of Waterway K-8 School in Dade County, Florida. Photo credit: Dignity Memorial.

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Carol Zuckerman, a first grade teacher from Dade County, Florida, succumbed to the disease on March 5, 2021.

Carol was born on August 21, 1964, in Great Neck, New York. As a young woman, she earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration. For several years she lived in Paris, France. Later, she resided in California, where she was employed at a talent agency. She also lived in Maryland before relocating to Florida.

Even though her degree was in business, Carol was obviously born to be a teacher. “She loved kids and wanted them to feel special,” remembered her brother, Charles Zuckerman. “Teaching was a very satisfying career for her.”

In 2007, Carol accepted a position at Waterway K8 Center in the Adventura School District in Dade County. She taught there for 14 years, and at the time of her passing, she was teaching first grade. The beloved teacher will be sorely missed.

“Mrs. Z. was my son’s teacher this year,” recalled parent Jenya Feldbeyn-Ninaquispe. “Even though we had a rough start virtually, when we went in person learning I found out what an amazing teacher Ms. Zuckerman was. My son would always come home and share stories about what she told him about history,” Feldbeyn-Ninaquispe continued. “She truly cared about our kids, especially their feelings. One of our last texts with Mrs. Zuckerman was about how much my son enjoyed her class,” the parent concluded.

Other parents agree. “Our daughter was her first grade student last year. We greatly appreciated her resourcefulness, respectfulness, and kind understanding,” wrote on appreciative parent on Carol’s Dignity Memorial obituary. “She did her best to make learning math, science, and social studies fun both at school and during COVID 2020 distance learning. Our child learned a lot from her passionate teaching and relevant assignments,” the parent concluded.

Carol died March 5, 2021. She was 56 years old. To read her obituary, click on this link to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Oregon teacher Kris Field-Eaton has worked diligently since her retirement to improve her community. For her efforts, she has earned a DKG community service award. Photo credit: Bethlehem House of Bread.

Many retired teachers continue to make a significant impact on their community, even after they have left the classroom. One of these is Kris Field-Eaton of Sherwood, Oregon, who has just been named the recipient of a DKG 2020 community service award.

Kris taught for 33 years in the Sherwood School District in her home town of Sherwood. There she worked as the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program Director. During the years she spent in the classroom, she also worked tirelessly to establish school gardens and to foster a chess program in each of the District’s schools.

Since her retirement, Kris has donated countless hours to the community service organization Bethlehem House of Bread. Her most recent effort has been to create a community garden and to work diligently to establish a food pantry that is open seven days a week. She serves on the leadership team for Bethlehem House. She also volunteers at the Tigard Public Library and the Oregon Food Bank. In addition, Kris plays flute in the One More Time Around Again Marching Band, a group of more than 400 musicians that is based in Portland, Oregon.

For her significant contributions to her city, Kris has been awarded the 2020 Service to Community Award by the organization Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG). DKG is an organization for teachers that works to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships for those who need support to improve their professional skills.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this article about her published by The Times supported by the Pamplin Media Group.