During the shelter-at-home directive ordered in resonse to the coronavirus pandemic, kindergarten teacher Karen Lee of Norfolk, Viriginia, shares the metamorphosis of caterpillars with her students online.

Every spring in her 30-year career, educator Karen Lee has introduced her classes of kindergartners to a lesson about caterpillars. This year, on the very day Karen introduced her young students to the caterpillars, her school closed down in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Karen took the caterpillars home. In the weeks since then, the veteran educator has been shifting her guided study of the caterpillars as they morph from caterpillars to butterflies into a lesson taught through distance learning.

Since the school’s closure, Lee told the Virginian-Pilot she has been recording and sharing online the metamorphosis of the caterpillars with her kids. The veteran educator has been sharing with her students everything they would have experienced in class. She’s posted videos of the caterpillar’s progress and let students know when they hatched last week.

It’s been difficult to adjust, Karen confesses. With younger children, it’s important to show them things they can see and touch. Digital lessons don’t  convey that as well as face-to-face lessons do. “I don’t know if I’m doing right or wrong,” she says. “I’m just doing what I feel like they need at the moment. They really need us.”

Karen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science, Education, and Early Childhood Education and Teaching from Arkansas State University in 1989. She has been a teacher in the Norfolk Public Schools system in Virginia since 1999. Prior to accepting her position there, Karen taught for five years at Westside Consolidated in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Lee County School District for three years in Florida. She currently teaches at the Willoughby Early Childhood Center in Norfolk, Viriginia.

Beloved fourth grade teacher Fatima Schmidt of New York City succumbed to the coronavirus on April 13, 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of many talented educators. One of them was Fatima Schmidt, a beloved elementary school teacher from New York City. Fatima passed away April 13, 2020. She was 57 years old.

This tireless educator devoted 18 years to New York Public Schools, where she worked at PS 152 and PS 335. Most recently she taught fourth grade at PS 333 in the Hunt’s Point section of the Bronx.

“She went above and beyond to meet her students’ needs, ” recalls colleague Jeana Ferraro. “She took the time to provide extra help and support to those that needed it, while still treating every student equally. She encouraged her students to work hard and be independent.”

Other teachers at PS 333 agree. “She was loved by many and was fueled with this strong-willed determination to show her students that failure was not an option,” remembers colleague Lissette Santana. “She had low tolerance for misbehavior and made it clear what her expectations were. In a world where anything goes, Ms. Schmidt made sure that was not the case in her classroom,” concluded Lissette.

In addition to her classroom duties, Fatima was active in the PTA, supervised numerous class trips, and attended countless sporting events. Friends and family describe Fatima was an adventurer. She loved to travel, visiting many countries abroad and venturing on numerous cruises. She enjoyed  trying new foods, exploring new cities, and immersing herself in various cultures.

To read more about  this amazing educator, read her obituary published on Ever Loved, Inc.

Beloved New York City elementary teacher Sandra Santos-Vizcaino succumbed to Covid-19 on March 30.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Sandra Santos-Vizcaino, a beloved elementary school teacher from New York City.

Sandra was born November 1, 1965, in Cotui, Dominican Republic. Her father, Antonio Santos, was an aviation mechanic and her mother, Natividad Brito, was employed as a seamstress and cake-baker. The family transplanted to New York City when Sandra was 11.

As a young woman, Sandra earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bard College, with a double major in Biology and Latin American Literature. Next, she attended Long Island University, Brooklyn campus, where she earned two Master’s degrees, one in Science and the second in Science Education. She also earned a degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York.

Sandra inaugurated her career as an educator in 1995. She taught for four years at PS 9 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. There she taught third grade in the dual-language program, with instruction in both English and Spanish. She had a reputation for her heartwarming hugs and her generous soul.  But she was also known for her seriousness, for her rigor, and for pushing her students to read. In all, she taught 25 years.

Sandra was a member of the Association of Dominican American Supervisors and Administrators. She was awarded the Outstanding Education Leader Award in the Dominican Republic for her work in education on the island.

Sadly, Sandra passed away on March 31, 2020, from Covid-19. She was 54 years old. “The notion that we’ve lost a teacher, it’s very painful,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “These are people who devote their lives to our kids, and losing someone who is that good a person, who is giving that much, is just very very painful.”

To read more about this amazing educator, see her obituary at the New York Times.

I always enjoy sharing stories about teachers and their exciting curriculum. Here is the story of Cindy Pearson, a third grade teacher at Loma Elementary in Loma, Colorado. Cindy is the winner of the 2020 Outstanding Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Award offered by the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture. View this short you tube video to find out how Cindy incorporates agriculture into her third grade curriculum. It’s fascinating!

Chalkboard Champion Lourdes Leon Guerrero of Guam

Many of America’s great teachers served in areas outside of the continental US. One of these was Lourdes Leon Guerrero, a celebrated educator from the US territory of Guam.

Lourdes was born on November 9, 1923, in the village of Merizo, Guam. Her father was a machinist in the US Navy, and her mother was a schoolteacher. As a young girl, Lourdes attended George Washington Junior/Senior High School. In fact, she was the valedictorian for her ninth grade class.

After her high school graduation, Lourdes completed courses in teaching pedagogy at the Normal School of Guam in 1946. She also studied at the Teacher Training Institute at Adelup in Guam. In 1969, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1969, cum laude. She earned her Master’s degree in Education in 1975. Lourdes obtained both of her degrees from the University of Guam.

Lourdes inaugurated her career as an educator at Sumay, the location of a settlement of chamorros. Chamorros are the indigenous people of the Mariana islands, of which Guam is the largest and southernmost island. When the Japanese occupied the island chain during World War II, Lourdes continued to teach in Sumay until the war ended in May, 1944.

Over the 57 years that her teaching career spanned, Lourdes worked at a number of other schools in Guam. She worked at Maxwell School, Merizo Elementary School, Sinajana Elementary School, Talofofo Elementary School, and Santa Rita Elementary School. She also worked at John F. Kennedy, George Washington, Oceanview, and Simon Sanchez High Schools. For her work in the classroom and as an administrator, Lourdes earned the Pioneer in Education from the University of Guam in 1996.

This remarkable teacher passed away on February 25, 2010. She was 86 years old. After her passing, she was inaugurated into the Guam Educators Hall of Fame.

To read the resolution published by the Guam legislature about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link: Resolution No. R298-30.