Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Melissa Collins inducted into National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Dr. Melissa Collins of Memphis, Tennessee, is one of five educators that has been inducted into the 2020 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. (Photo credit: Chalkboard Tennessee)

I enjoy sharing stories about exemplary educators who have earned recognition for their work. One of these is Dr. Melissa Collins, a second grade teacher from Memphis, Tennessee. Melissa is one of five educators who have been inducted into the 2020 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

For the past 21 years, Melissa has taught at John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis. She is passionate about global learning, teacher leadership, and STEM. In fact, she is well-known for nurturing curiosity in science with her students. “We need to turn our classrooms into learning labs,” asserts Melissa. “That’s what I try to create. You have to give students total autonomy. At this age, they’re curious about the world around them and ready to ask questions. They’re always asking questions! We need to recognize the importance of them asking questions. They need to be able to pose the questions and then seek out their own understanding,” she continues.

Melissa is one of 145 teachers who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since the organization was founded in Emporia, Kansas, in 1992. Inductees have at least 20 years of teaching experience across Pre-K to 12th grade.

For her work in the classroom, Melissa has garnered many accolades. In addition to her NTHF honors, Melissa garnered the 2013 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2008 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. She was named a 2014 finalist for Tennessee Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, a National Board–Certified teacher, a founder of the National Board Network of Accomplished Minority Educators, and a Top 50 Finalist for the 2018 Global Teacher Prize. Melissa serves as the 2019–2020 Co-Chair of Shell Science Teaching Award and the Co-Chair of the EdTech Genome project.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to an interview with her published by Scholastic Teacher.

 

Wisconsin’s Mandy Wright served in her state’s Assembly

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Wisconsin elementary teacher Mandy Wright was also elected to her state’s Assembly.(Photo credit: Ballotpedia)

Many excellent educators also make successful politicians. One of these is Mandy Wright, an elementary school teacher from Wausau, Wisconsin, who has also served in her state’s Assembly.

Mandy was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, on June 7, 1977. As a youngster, she attended Riverview Elementary School, and then Wausau East High School, where she earned varsity letters as a cross-country ski captain, the goalie and captain of the girls’ soccer team, and the football kicker.

After her high school graduation, Mandy studied English and Norwegian at St. Olaf College,  a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. She earned her Master’s degree from Viterbo University, a private liberal arts college in La Crosse, Wisconsin. During these years, she also did volunteer work with the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and as an after-school coordinator at Jefferson Elementary, where she organized many community programs and events.

After college, Mandy taught sixth grade as an English/ELL teacher at Wausau West. She taught there for four years. She has also taught sixth grade and coached soccer at Horace Mann Middle School.

In November, 2012, Mandy was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly on the Democratic ticket. She defeated Republican Pat Snyder, a radio show host with a huge following. While in office, she represented the 85th District, serving on the Committees for Education, Agriculture, Consumer Protection, and Small Business Development.

Once she left office, Mandy returned to the field of education, accepting a position at Marathon Venture Academy, a public charter school. She also participates in many community service organizations. She is a member of the League of Conservation Voters; the Farmer’s Union; the Wausau Nordic Ski Club; the Friends of Rib Mountain; the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce; Sierra Club; YMCA; and Stoney Acres Community Farm. Also, she is a Safe Schools Ambassador Family Leader.

To learn more about this educator and politician, see the information on this link by Ballotpedia.

 

Thomas Knab inducted into 2020 National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations go to Thomas Knab, an elementary school art techer who has been inducted into the 2020 National Teachers Hall of Fame. (Photo credit: NTHF)

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented classroom teachers who have been recognized for their outstanding work int the classroom. One of these is Thomas Knab, an elementary school art teacher who has just been inducted into the 2020 National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Thomas teaches at Dodge Elementary School, part of the Williamsville Central School District in East Amherst, New York. His career as an educator has spanned 31 years. As a young man, Thomas planned to become a graphic designer, but through coaching volleyball and teaching Sunday school, he became interested in a career as a teacher.

Thomas works to encourage the creativity and spirit of his elementary students through the arts. “I try to make it very diverse in the type of things we do in the art room so the students hopefully can discover something they’re successful at,” Thomas confesses. To this end, he created an art gallery inside the school to display the students’ art pieces. “I hope that [students] can see themselves, even in a small way as an artist,” Thomas says. “Whether it’s as a career, or even as a hobby, how it can add to your life.”

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Thomas has spent decades as the Williamsville South boys volleyball coach. He has also served as a leader and advocate for the importance of art education in regional and national organizations. He’s currently the president of the National Art Education Association.

Thom’s inducttion into the NTHF is not the only recognition the superlative teacher has earned. In 2019, he earned the Lowell Milken Center Fellowship Award, an honor given to educators who have distinguished themselves in teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. In 2018, he garnered the Eastern Region Elementary Art Education Award from the National Education Association. The same year, he was honored as the National Art Educator of the Year award from the National Art Educators Association.

El Paso’s Zelene Blancas, internet sensation, succumbs to Covid-19

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Sadly, Zelene Blancas, a first grade teacher from El Paso, Texas, who became an internet sensation for her video of students showing kindness to one another, has succumbed to Covid-19.

Perhaps you remember Zelene Blancas, the teacher from El Paso, Texas, whose video of students giving each other hugs, fist bumps, and high fives became an internet sensation in 2018. Sadly, this beloved teacher succumbed to Covid-19 on December 28, 2020. She was 35 years old.

Zelene taught first grade dual language at Dr. Sue A. Shoot Elementary in the Socorro Independent School District. She’d taught at the school for four years. One day, the educator made a video of her students showing kindness towards each other. Since its original posting, the  video has garnered over 22 million views. The Chalkboard Champion explained that she encouraged her students to show kindness toward each other because wanted her students to feel like they “have a safe place to come back to and learn in a safe environment.”

By all accounts, she will be sorely missed. “She always made an effort to share kindness, whether it was with a message or a note or just reaching out to her colleagues,” remembered Principal Cristina Sanchez-Chavira. “Just a very, very loving person.” Friend and colleague Nick Adkins agreed. “The ripple effect of love and kindness that she put out into the universe through teaching her kids through the years is immeasurable,” he recalled. “Ms. Blancas and the entire staff and students at Shook are what we should all strive for each and every day, each and every now. She lives on in the love that she taught and spread. I am grateful for her. We all are,” Adkins continued.

To learn more about Zelene blancas, see this article published online by KTSM.com.

Amanda Harris named South Dakota’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to Amanda Harris, a fourth grade teacher at Endeavor Elementary in the Harrisburg School District in South Dakota. She has been named her state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: South Dakota State University

Congratulations to Amanda Harris, a fourth grade teacher at Endeavor Elementary in the Harrisburg School District in South Dakota. She has been named her state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2007 from South Dakota State University, Amanda accepted a position as a third grade teacher with Sioux Falls Catholic Schools. She taught there for two years. She has taught in the Harrisburg School District since 2013.

The honored educator enjoys her work with fourth graders. “Their autonomy draws me in. I love their independence, but they still need that scaffolding on the side,” Amanda says. “I love being able to set them up for success and give them the tools they need and watch them go,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Amanda has established several after school clubs at her school, including a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) club and stop-motion movie-making club. She also helped inaugurate a theater company on her campus.

In addition, Amanda has served on curriculum committees in her district, and regularly presents at educator conferences. Harris is a previous recipient of a South Dakota Education Association/National Education Association Educational Innovation Grant.

“The South Dakota Teacher of the Year program is all about celebrating the vital work of educators and their impact on the lives of students,” expressed Ben Jones, South Dakota Secretary of Education.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2007 from South Dakota State University, Amanda accepted a position as a third grade teacher with Sioux Falls Catholic Schools. She taught there for two years. She has taught in the Harrisburg School District since 2013.

To read more about Amanda, see this story about her published on the website of South Dakota State University.