Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

Fanny Allen: School teacher and nationally renowned photographer

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Fanny Allen, school teacher, internationally renowned photographer, and member of the Deerfield Arts and Crafts Movement. Photograph by Mary Allen, c. 1906.

Many talented educators earn fame in fields outside the classroom. One of these is Fanny Allen, an elementary schoolteacher from Deerfield, Massachusetts who became a nationally renowned photographer.

Fanny, whose birth name was Frances Stebbins Allen, was born on August 10, 1854, in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. She was the oldest of four children born to local farmer Josiah Allen and his wife Mary Stebbins Allen. Deerfield is a small farming town and early colonial outpost founded in the late 1600s in the western part of the state.

As a young girl, Fanny attended the local school, Deeerfield Academy. After she graduated from Deerfield, she enrolled in State Normal School in Westfield, Massachusetts. After earning her degree, Fanny launched her career as a schoolteacher. From 1876 to 1886 she taught in schools in the Massachusetts counties of Greenfield and Worcester. Her younger sister, Mary, also became a schoolteacher.

Sadly, both sisters lost their hearing in their thirties, most likely due to a hereditary condition. Fanny and Mary were forced to leave the classroom, and they needed a new way to support themselves. Together, the former schoolteachers took up a new career in photography. As photographers, they captured images that idealized their town’s colonial history. Many of their photographs depicted Deerfield’s picturesque farms and its one leafy street lined with fine 18th-century houses. The amazing thing is, the sisters were self-taught!

The Allen sisters set up a salesroom for their work in their ancestral home, and were soon supporting themselves with their sales. By 1895, they enjoyed commercial success, and even enjoyed national acclaim. In the July, 1941 issue of Ladies Home Journal, the former teachers were hailed as two of the “Foremost Women Photographers of America.”

Many of the Allen sisters’ photographs were attributed to “The Misses Allen,” rather than to one sister or the other. In 1899, the Allen sisters joined the Arts & Crafts Movement in their home city, and spent their energy documenting the works of the local members. In 1907, Franny Allen was elected the Director of Photography of the Society of Deerfield Industries. In addition, their work has been added to the collection of the Library of Congress.

Fanny Allen passed away on February 14, 1941. She was 86 years old. She is interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Franklin County, Deerfield. To read more about this chalkboard champion, click on this link to Deerfield Arts & Crafts.

Educator Donald Graves: Known internationally as a pioneer of teaching writing

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Former elementary school teacher Donald Graves became known internationally as a teacher of the writing process.

Many talented classroom teachers become excellent trainers for other teachers. One of these was Donald Graves, an elementary school teacher who became internationally known as a pioneer in teaching the writing process.

Donald Hillard Graves was born in September 11, 1930, in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. His father was a school principal, and his mother was a nurse.

Donald earned his Bachelor’s degree at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 1952. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from Bridgewater State University in Brdigewater, Massachusetts, in 1959. He completed the requirements for his Ph.D. in Education at the University at Buffalo in New York in 1973. Donald was also a veteran; he served four years in the US Coast Guard.

Donald launched his career as an elementary school teacher at East Fairhaven Elementary School, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, in 1956. Two years later he accepted a position as the school’s principal. Later he became the co-director of a teacher preparation program for urban educators. He also served as a professor of an early childhood program. In his later years, he became Professor Emeritus at the University of New Hampshire.

During his lengthy career as an educator, Donald pioneered new methods for teaching the writing process. In fact, he is known internationally as an expert in the field of teaching writing. In a career as an author that spanned 25 years, he published 26 books, most of them related to the topics of teaching and writing.

“Write yourself,” Donald often advised other teachers. “Invite children to do something you’re already doing. If you’re not doing it, ‘Hey,’ the kids say, ‘I can’t wait to grow up and not have to write, like you.’ They know,” he said. “And for the short term and the long term, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by writing. All of us need it as a survival tool in a very complex world,” he asserted. “The wonderful thing about writing is that it separates the meaningless and the trivial from what is really important. So we need it for ourselves and then we need to invite children to do what we’re doing. You can’t ask someone to sing a duet with you until you know the tune yourself,” he counseled.

Donald retired in 1992 and settled on his mountainside home in Jackson, New Hampshire. This Chalkboard Champion passed away on September 28, 2010, in Falmouth, Barnstable County, Maine. He was 80 years old.

For his work as an educator, Donald garnered many accolades. The National Council of Teachers of English established the Donald H. Graves Writing Award in his honor. To learn more about this amazing educator, read this interview about him that can be found at this link: Answering Your Questions about Teaching Writing.

Chalkboard Champion Jami Witherell honored by Good Morning America

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I always love to share stories about inspiring teachers who receive accolades for their hard work in the classroom. One of these amazing teachers is Jami Witherell, a fifth-grade teacher from West Springfield, Massachusetts. She was honored today on the national television show Good Morning America.

Jami was recognized for her help in raising money to fund over 100 student projects.  As a teacher who works in a district with many low-income families, Jami has made it her mission to ensure every student in her classroom has whatever materials they need to succeed. To this end, she established accounts on Donors Choose to raise the funds needed to purchase those materials. This morning, the talented teacher was presented with $30,000 to help fund even more projects in the future.

“I’m overwhelmed with love, which is the best part of being a teacher,” Jami gushed. “I get to go to work every day and love all of you. So thank you for returning and sharing that love with me,” she declared.

Here’s the video of Jami receiving her honors that was aired by Good Morning America on ABC this morning.

San Antonio’s Greco, McEwen selected 2019 Teachers of the Year

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Here is a four-minute YouTube video which celebrates the work of two amazing educators in San Antonio, Texas. The first is Lacy Greco, a fourth grade teacher at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. The second is Krystal McEwen, a Special Education teacher at Bonnie Ellison Elementary School. Both  exceptional educators were honored as 2019 Elementary Teachers of the Year  for Northside Independent School District located in Leon Valley, a suburb of San Antonio, Texas.

Jada Reeves: West Virginia’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary educator Jada Reeves from Mt. Hope, West Virginia, selected her state’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

We are truly fortunate that so many wonderful teachers work in public schools in every state of our union. One of these educators is Jada Reeves, a fifth-grade teacher from Mt. Hope, Raleigh County, West Virginia.

Jada earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. She earned her Master’s degree in Reading Specialist from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. In addition to her degrees, Jada became Nationally Board Certified in 2013.

In a career spanning 16 years, Jada currently teaches at Bradley Elementary School. She has taught at that school for the last three years. She also serves as an assistant coach for a local middle school.

“I could not possibly think of another profession that would be as inspiring as an educator,” confessed Jada. “I adore my students and am passionate about teaching. Knowing I will step into my classroom each morning and tackle the day together with my students is always an encouraging thought,” she says.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Jada participates in many educational committees. She serves on her school’s Local School Improvement Council and she is part of the Instructional Practices Inventory Team. She also serves on the Leadership and Wellness Committees. Also, she conducts training for Raleigh County’s Innovative Team.

And that’s not all Jada does. She works for the West Virginia Department of Education as an online facilitator and Lead Coordinator for the Southern West Virginia National Board Certification Cohort. She is actively involved in the planning committee for the West Virginia Division of Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching. And as if all that is not enough, this indefatigable educator contributes posts for the blog of the National Board for Professional Teaching, The Standard. In addition, she was recently appointed as a member of the Board of Directors for the Education Alliance.

Jada also volunteers on several community projects. She is an assistant Girl Scout troop leader and fosters rescue dogs from Operation Underdog.

For her work as an educator, Jada has garnered statewide recognition. She was named West Virginia State Teacher of the Year for 2019.

To read more about this amazing chalkboard champion, click on this link: West Virginia Education Association.