Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Retired kindergarten teacher Erma Paloma was active even in retirement

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Retired kindergarten teacher Erma Paloma from Corona, California, was active, even in retirement.

Many excellent educators continue their many hours of dedicated service to the community, even after they retire. One of these was Erma Mieko Paloma, a former elementary school teacher from Corona, California, who maintained a very active lifestyle of volunteerism, even in retirement.

Erma was born in Hawaii on August 11, 1942. She worked for many years as a kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary School in the Corona Norco Unified School District. Her career spanned nearly 34 years.

After Erma’s retirement in 1999, she became very active in her community’s Woman’s Improvement Club. And for more than 20 years she expertly handled the responsibilities of Treasurer for her local division of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA). She also served on that organization’s Scholarship Committee, and attended the annual conventions and workshops to hone her volunteerism skills. For her dedication and many years of service to CalRTA, Erma garnered the coveted Martin Mathieson Award. In addition to her work with CalRTA and the Woman’s Improvement Club, Erma worked with the Girls Scouts for many years. In fact, she served as the president for the San Gorgonio chapter. In her leisure time, she traveled frequently to Hawaii and Japan to visit family.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on March 7, 2020, in Riverside, California. She was 77 years old.

Immigrant and educator Gail Hudson: Nevada’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school educator Gail Hudson, an immigrant from Belize, named 2020 Nevada State Teacher of the Year.

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Gail Hudson, an elementary teacher from Nevada who has garnered the title of 2020 Nevada State Teacher of the Year.

Gail teaches fifth grade at John R. Hummel Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada. There she serves as the school’s liaison on the Clark County district’s Equity and Diversity Department. As the Las Vegas school’s Title I site coordinator, she has also helped with the schools Title I plan. Title I schools have a high percentage of students living in poverty.

Gail emigrated to the United States from Belize 45 years ago in search of better education opportunities. In interviews, she often recalls that it was her eighth grade teacher that made a difference in her life and contributed to her personal success. Maybe it was because of that teacher’s inspiration that Gail became the first in her family to attend college.

Her career as an educator has spanned 32 years. “They know I am here for them every single day. I wake up to come to them and I want them to wake up to come to me. It is my duty to continue to serve children,” Hudson asserted. “They deserve the best educator possible. They deserve teachers who go above and beyond,” she continued.

Gail earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science Education from Western Illinois University. She earned her Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University. She earned a second Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from DePaul University. In addition, Gail completed the requirements for a certificate in literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), and a diploma in Intercultural Relationships from The Intercultural Development Research Institute. She’s also a National Board Certified Teacher.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this link published on the online site of the Las Vegas Review.

Third grade teacher and Maryland’s 2020 Teacher of the Year Teresa Beilstein

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Third grade teacher and Maryland’s 2020 Teacher of the Year Teresa Beilstein.

I love to share stories about outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Teresa Beilstein, an elementary school teacher from Arundel County, Maryland. She has been named her state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Loyola, Teresa worked for SunTrust Bank. Later she earned two Master’s degrees, one in Teaching and a second in Organizational Psychology, both from Walden University. In addition, she holds an Advanced Professional Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Reading, and she is a nationally board certified as an Early Childhood Generalist.

In 2013, Teresa accepted a position to teach third grade at South Shore Elementary School for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The school is located in Crownsville. The honored educator confesses that she especially likes working with third graders. She says that year is a time when children are developing their personalities and humor and are “absolutely on fire for learning.” In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Teresa collaborated with a small team of county educators who wrote an elementary-level curriculum and assessments aligned to new science standards.

Teresa believes that educators should always look for ways to engage their students’ attention and interest. “As teachers, we need to bring the content, bring the data, and bring the fun,” Teresa declared. “Before students can be expected to learn, they need to be emotionally invested and it is my job, as an educator, to create the spark that will draw students in and get them involved,” she continued.

To read more about this chalkboard Champion, see this article published by the Maryland Department of Education.

Helen Agcaoili Brown, Los Angeles teacher, established Filipino library

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Helen Agcaoili Brown, a former third grade teacher in Los Angeles, California, founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library.

Students in our country are so fortunate to have many talented chalkboard champions in our schools. One of these is Helen Agcaoili Brown, a California teacher who is the founder of the Filipino American Reading Room and Library.

Helen was born May 16, 1915, in Manila, the Philippines. Her family immigrated to the United States shortly after her graduation from Manila Central High School in 1934. As a young woman, Helen studied first at Pasadena City Junior College, and then at the University of California, Los Angeles. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Social Work.

After she earned her college degree, Helen accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California. Her career spanned many years.

In 1985, Helen founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library, the first of its kind in the country. To enlarge the library’s collection, she donated her private library collection. She realized the value of the library she inherited from her father, and she worked diligently to build on it by collecting books, pamphlets, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and even the souvenir programs given out during the events of various Filipino organizations. She believed that nothing was too insignificant when it came to preserving the social history of Filipinos in the United States. In addition to founding the library, she also served as the facility’s librarian.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on January 25, 2011. She was 95 years old.

The Filipino American Library is located at 135 N. Park View St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. You can visit their website at Filipino Library.

First grade teacher and Miss Tennessee pageant winner Brianna Mason

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First grade teacher, advocate for individuals with autism, and Miss Tennessee pageant winner Brianna Mason

Many fine educators have earned distinction in fields outside of education. One of these is Brianna Mason, an elementary school teacher and advocate for individuals with autism who has garnered the title of Miss Tennessee, 2019.

Brianna was raised in Antioch, Tennessee. She graduated with honors in 2013 from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Williamson County, in her home state. Her father is the principal there. Following her high school graduation, Brianna enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2017 and her Master’s in Elementary Education in 2018. While in college, Brianna was a Charles Lattimore Graduate Scholar with the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences at UTK, and a part of the selective Urban Multicultural Education Cohort. In addition, she earned the Russell E. Leed Scholarship and the Alex Haley Scholarship.

After her earning her degrees, Brianna accepted a position as a first grade teacher at Hobgood Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She has also devoted much of her energy to raising awareness about autism. To this end, she founded Advocates for Autism, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to inclusion for individuals and families that are affected by autism.

After Brianna was crowned Miss Tennessee, she decided to take a leave of absence from the classroom to fulfill the responsibilities that go with the title. But she declared that during the year she will serve as an ambassador for the five Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Tennessee and promote student literacy. She will also advocate for kids with autism in Tennessee and serve as “a voice for educators,” she says. She expects to return to teaching when her reign ends. She also plans to pursue credentials in English language learning and special education.

To read more about Brianna, click on this link to her page at the UTK.