Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Teacher, cookbook author, and television personality Shirley McClay

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Long-time elementary school teacher Shirley McClay was also a highly-acclaimed cookbook author, television personality, and public speaker. Photo Credit: The Daily Bulletin

There are many outstanding educators who have accomplished a host of impressive achievements even after they have left the classroom. One of these is Shirley McClay, an elementary school teacher from Southern California who became an acclaimed author, television personality, and public speaker.

Shirley was born on Sept. 1, 1932, in Los Angeles, California. In 1948, she moved with her family to nearby Lake Elsinore, where she enrolled at Lake Elsinore High School. After her high school graduation, Shirley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education with a Minor in Art from Southern California’s Pepperdine University. Once she earned her degree, Shirley went on to launch her career as a kindergarten teacher. She spent 25 years in the classroom.

Once she retired from teaching, Shirley and her friend Marilyn Meich co-authored several cookbooks. The pair published The Fast and Fabulous Four Ingredient Cookbook in 1984, the highly-acclaimed Original 4-Ingredient Cookbook in 1987, and The Trim & Thin 4 Ingredient Cookbook in 1988. By herself, Shirley published Caught Bear Handed? Recipes By Shirley Atwater-McClay in 1988 and Slick Chick Recipes By Shirley Atwater-McClay in 1989. To promote the cookbooks, Shirley appeared on local talk shows. In addition, she appeared at many engagements as a public speaker. And as if that weren’t enough, she owned and operated her own dance studio for a number of years.

During her lifetime, Shirley belonged to a number of organizations, including the American Association of University Women, PEO, the Lion’s Club, Newcomers, and several local book clubs. An avid world traveller, the retired teacher travelled extensively with her husband, Marvin McClay. She often declared her favorite destination was the continent of Africa.

Sadly, Shirley MclCay passed away on June 24, 2024, in Murrieta, California. She was 91 years old.

NH teacher Elizabeth Duclos named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary teacher Elizabeth Duclos has been named New Hampshire’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: New Hampshire Department of Education

Students in one New Hampshire town are indeed fortunate to have an outstanding educator working in their school. I’m talking about Elizabeth Duclos, an elementary school teacher from Pembroke. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Elizabeth teaches third grade at Pembroke Hill School. In her classroom, she believes the most important thing is to create a caring environment. She says she values and respects her students’ ideas, and she encourages them to take risks and become leaders in the classroom. She also fosters a sense of community and collaboration among her students.

The honored educator says she decided to be a teacher when she was only eight years old. She was raised on a 125-acre dairy farm in Orange County, New York. On this farm, her mom milked the cows, but when Elizabeth tried her hand at it, she decided after only two weeks she didn’t like it. Instead, she fell in love with helping her aunt, a teacher in Nottingham, prepare for the new school year. “I would come up for the summer and help her set up her class,” Elizabeth remembers, “and every time I said, ‘This is where I want to be.'”

Obviously, she made the right decision. Selected from more than 300 nominees, Elizabeth was selected because of her work ethic, insightful thinking, expertise in education, and effort towards making sure that each student receives the support they need to succeed in her classroom.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies and her Master’s in Elementary Education, both from the University of New Hampshire. She also earned a certificate from Plymouth State University as a K-12 reading and writing specialist. During her professional career, Duclos has served as the Vice President of the New Hampshire Association for the Education of Young Children. Her career as an educator spans 16 years.

 

Teacher Eleanor Murdoch Johnson founded a widely-read children’s newsletter

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Teacher, administrator, and editor Eleanor Murdoch Johnson founded a children’s newspaper to bring nonfiction reading materials to elementary school children. Photo Credit: New York Times

There have been many exceptional educators who have made an indelible mark on the American education system. One of them was Eleanor Murdoch Johnson, an elementary school teacher from Oklahoma who founded the children’s newspaper entitled My Weekly Reader.

Eleanor was born in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, on Dec. 10, 1892. As a young woman, she studied at both Colorado College in 2012 and the Central State Teachers College in 1913. She earned her Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Chicago in 1925 and her Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1932.

Once she completed her formal education, Eleanor inaugurated her career as a first grade teacher in Oklahoma. She also served as Superintendent of Schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

It was while working in Pennsylvania in 1927 that Eleanor came up with the idea of a nonfiction newspaper for elementary school students. “In her work with kids,” says The Weekly Reader editor Terry Borton, “she noticed most of the reading they did was fairy tales and fantasy, which she felt was fine, but she felt they were missing a knowledge and understanding of the real world, which she thought they would like.”

In response, Eleanor proposed a nonfiction weekly newsletter for children that would explain in clear, straightforward prose the newsworthy events of the day. This was when The Weekly Reader was born. The newsletter described such events as the Depression, World War II, assassinations, presidential elections, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights struggles, and the Iran hostage crisis.

Eleanor produced the first issue of the newspaper on Sept. 21, 1928, and remained involved in planning its contents until her retirement from the position in 1978, when she was 85 years old. It has been estimated that The Weekly Reader was read by two-thirds of today’s American adults when they were in elementary school.

Sadly, Eleanor Murdoch Johnson succumbed to cancer on Oct. 8,1987, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She was 94 years old.

 

Adrianna Swearingen named Florida’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Florida Media Specialists Adrianna Swearingen has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Florida State Department of Education

Any campus that has an exceptional Teacher Librarian on their staff is a very fortunate school. A knowledgable and innovative Media Specialist is an invaluable resource for both students and colleagues. In her elementary school, Adrianna Swearingen is exactly such a resource. In fact, she is so accomplished she has been named the 2024 Florida State Teacher of the Year.

Adrianna teaches at Northside Elementary School in Bay County. She has served as the school’s Media Specialist since 2021. In that role, she has been a major reason why the students in her school have increased their English Language learning gains by 21 percentage points, with the learning gains for the lowest students showing growth of 41 percentage points. That’s huge! In addition to this, Adrianna works with her campus Technology Club, the Lego Club, and the Yearbook Committee.

In the prior seven years, when she was a classroom teacher, Adriana worked with both kindergartners and fourth graders. She helped her students run morning broadcasts, she pioneered the Accelerated Reader Program, and she cultivated an environment of confidence among her young charges.

She has other work experiences, too. For example, before she became a teacher, she trained with her dog, Mako, to be a therapy service team. In this role, she and her dog attended events and volunteered at schools, retirement homes, and colleges with Love Dog Adventures through Pet Partners.

“My message for not only the teachers here in my county, but the entire state of Florida is to know that you are enough, and you matter,” declares Adrianna. “And we are doing amazing things in education. We are game changers!” she continued.

Adrianna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University, Panama City, in 2015. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida in 2021.

WV teacher Sharon Cole named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Sharon Cole of Wayne County, West Virginia, has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: West Virginia Watch

It is always exciting to share the story of an exceptional educator who has been honored for his or her work with young people. Today, I share the story of Sharon Cole, an elementary school teacher from West Virginia. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Sharon teaches second grade at Ceredo-Kenova Elementary School in Wayne County.  Those who visit her classroom can see obvious signs of her enthusiasm for teaching and learning. In one corner, she has created an environment that includes a Magic Tree House Reading Center, where the honored teacher emphasizes the magic of reading in a creative and energetic way. “I love every minute of being in the seven and eight-year-old world,” declares Sharon.

In addition to her work with her youngsters, Sharon has served as an active member of her school’s Leadership Team; the Hiring Committee; and the leader of the Second Grade Curriculum Team. Also, she served as Ceredo-Kenova Elementary’s Faculty Senate President. Furthermore, she has been a model for Marshall University student teachers and a mentor for future teachers.

Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Her career as an educator spans 34 years.

As the 2024 winner, Sharon travelled to the White House on May 2, 2024, for a state dinner hosted by First Lady Jill Biden. In addition, Sharon will receive a vehicle for use throughout the year from Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia; $5,000 from both Highmark West Virginia and the Horace Mann Companies; a $1,000 classroom grant from the West Virginia Education Association; a two-night stay at a West Virginia state park from the West Virginia Department of Tourism; a $250 Amazon gift card and gift basket from the West Virginia Professional Educators; $500 from the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia; $500 from the West Virginia Lottery; and a tuition and lodging grant from Leadership West Virginia valued at $5,600.