Tag Archives: Elementary Teachers

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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.

Kansas elem teacher Eugene Struzik garners 2024 VFW Citizenship Education Award

Posted on by

Elementary school teacher Eugene Struzik III of Dodge City, Kansas, has garnered a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Photo Credit: VFW

I always enjoy shining a spotlight on an outstanding teacher who has also served our country in the military. Today, I highlight Eugene Struzik III, an elementary school teacher in Dodge City, Kansas. He has garnered a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

Eugene, a veteran of the United States Air Force, teaches fifth grade at Northwest Elementary School in Dodge City. Sponsored by Howard Gotschall VFW Post 1714 in Dodge City, Eugene was selected for the award because of his passion and dedication towards instilling a sense of appreciation and patriotism among his students and community. For example, he co-ordinated a Veterans Day activity entitled Project Mail Call: Honoring Our Veterans. Through this project, Eugene’s students wrote cards to veterans who were embarking on a Kansas Honor Flight.

Each year, the VFW selects one elementary, one middle school, and one high school teacher to receive the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher award. The honor recognizes outstanding teachers for their exceptional commitment to teaching Americanism and patriotism to their students through promoting civic responsibility, flag etiquette, and patriotism in the classroom. The award was established in 1999 and named after former VFW National Commander John Smart and retired VFW Quartermaster General Larry Maher. Eugene will be presented with a check for $1,000 which he can use for professional development and $1,000 for his school during the 125th VFW National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, July 27-Aug. 1, 2024.

To read more, click on this link to VFW website.