Tag Archives: English Teachers

Utah’s Lily Yuriko Havey: Teacher, artist, award-winning author

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Former Utah English teacher Lily Yuriko Havey is also an artist and an award-winning author. Photo credit: Lily Yuriko Havey

During Asian American/Pacific Islander Month, I’m devoting some of my blog posts to educators of Asian descent. One of these was Lily Yuriko Havey, a high school English teacher who was incarcerated in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. She is also an artist and an award-winning author.

Lily was born in Los Angeles in 1932. She was only nine years old when the Empire of Japan attacked Peal Harbor. Shortly after that, President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 resulted in 120,000 West Coat residents of Japanese descent being removed from their homes and relocated to internment camps throughout the interior. Lily and her family were among those who were relocated. Lily’s family was sent first to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, and then to the Amache Relocation Center in Prowers County, southwestern Colorado.

Once the US won World War II, Lily and her family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Later, Lily garnered a scholarship to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She earned her Bachelor’s degree there. She then returned to Utah, where she earned her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Utah.

Once she earned her degrees, Lily inaugurated her career as an educator, teaching high school English, creative writing, and humanities in Utah public schools. Her career as an educator spanned 13 years.

After Lily left the classroom in the 1970’s, she decided to develop her artistic talents. She experimented with creating stained-glass suncatchers. This endeavor led her to establish a stained-glass artwork business which she maintained for over 30 years. In the 1980s, Lily expanded her artistic endeavors. She began to paint watercolors, and quickly recognized her paintings were helpful in overcoming the post-traumatic stress disorder she suffered as a child when she was an internee. When she displayed the watercolors in galleries and art shows, she was asked to share descriptions of the paintings. These descriptions led her to write her memoir, GAsa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp: A Nisei Youth behind a World War II Fence. The volume was published in June, 2014, by the University of Utah Press. The efforts earned high praise. In 2015, Lily garnered the Evans Biography Award, presented for a book written during the previous calendar year. The award is administered by Utah State University.

To order a copy of Lily’s book, simply click on this link to amazon: Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp:  A Nisei Youth behind a World War II Fence.

Acclaimed author Crystal Hana Kim is a Teach for America alumnus

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Acclaimed author Crystal Hana Kim, a Teach for America alumnus, has taught writing at the elementary, high school, and college levels. Photo credit: Crystal Hana Kim

There are many excellent classroom teachers who have earned recognition in fields outside of the classroom. One of these is Crystal Kim, a published novelist who has taught writing at the elementary, high school, and college levels.

Kim was born in Queens, New York, in 1987, the daughter of immigrates from South Korea. As a young child, she often returned to South Korea every summer to spend time with extended family. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2009 and Master’s degree in Fine Arts in 014, both from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Education from Hunter College in 2011.

Crystal came to the classroom through the Teach for America (TFA) program. TFA is a nonprofit organization who says their mission is to “enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.” The organization accomplishes this by recruiting college graduates to serve as teachers in public schools. Those selected commit to teaching for at least two years in a public or public charter K–12 school in one of the 52 low-income communities that the organization serves.

Crystal published her first novel, If You Leave Me, in 2018. The book was named a Best Book of 2018 by The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Literary Hub, and the ALA Booklist. In fact, her work was so well-received that she was named a National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Honoree in 2022. The honor recognizes debut fiction writers whose work is predicted to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape. Crystal was also named a 2021 Jerome Hill Artist Finalist and a 2017 PEN America/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winner. She has received scholarships from Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Jentel, and Hedgebrook. Her work has been published in Elle Magazine, The Paris Review, Guernica, and elsewhere. Additionally, she is a contributing editor at Apogee Journal.

GA teacher Ruth Frances Woodsmall was a global activist for women’s rights

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High School English teacher Ruth Frances Woodsmall of Georgia was a global activist for women’s rights in her day. Photo credit: Smith College

Many exceptional educators have also made significant contributions to society as a whole. One of these is Ruth Frances Woodsmall, a high school English teacher from Georgia. She is well-known as a post-World War II global activist for women’s rights.

Ruth was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 20, 1883. She was the daughter of Harrison S. Woodsmall, a lawyer and teacher, and Mary Elizabeth Howes, an art teacher. Ruth grew up in Indiana and attended local schools. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Nebraska in 1905. She earned her Master’s degree from Wellesley in 1906.

After she earned her degrees, Ruth worked as a high school English teacher in both Nevada and Colorado from 1906 to 1917. Between 1917 and 1928 she held various positions in the YWCA, including a stint as Director of Hostess Houses in the US and in France. From 1921 to 1928, she was Executive Secretary of YWCAs in the Near East. Based in Istanbul, the former classroom teacher supervised branches in Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. In 1923, her jurisdiction was expanded to include Egypt and Palestine. From 1935 to 1948 Ruth served as General Secretary of the World’s YWCA.

From 1949 to 1952 Ruth served as the Chief of the Women’s Affairs Section of the US High Commission for Occupied Germany. For this work she received the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of West Germany. At the same, she did extensive research on the changing status of Muslim women in the Middle East and published several important works on the subject.

In recognition of her work with women and international relations, this exceptional educator received honorary degrees from the University of Nebraska in 1945 and the University of Indiana in 1954.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion passed away in New York City on May 25, 1963.

Teacher Katie McGee named one of Alabama’s “Sweet 16”

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Junior high school English teacher Katie McGee has been named one of the state’s  “Sweet 16” by the Alabama State Department of Education. Photo credit: Cullman City Schools

Every year, the Alabama State Department of Education named 16 top educators from all over the state as their “Sweet 16.” These teachers are contenders for 2023 Alabama Teacher of the Year. One of this year’s “Sweet 16” is Katie McGee, a seventh grade English teacher at Cullman Middle School in the Vulcan City School District.

According to the State of Alabama Department of Education, the “Sweet 16” are outstanding educators who personify excellence have been selected as finalists for Alabama Teacher of the Year. Each one excels in the classroom and inspires students through innovative instructional techniques. This year’s 16 state finalists have emerged from a highly professional group of more than 150 top educators who submitted their official applications for this prestigious state honor.

Katie’s colleagues are excited about her recognition. “It’s wonderful to see her being recognized for her exceptional teaching skills, creativity, and commitment to education,” says Cullman Middle School Principal Jake Johnson. “As a principal, I am proud to have such an outstanding teacher in our school community. She has made a significant impact on her students’ lives and has contributed positively to our school culture,” he declared.

In addition to her inclusion in the “Sweet 16,” Katie has also been named District VI Secondary Teacher of the Year. She has a Master’s degree in Education and she is a National Board Certified Teacher.

 

FL teacher Rebecca Hamilton inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Florida English teacher Rebecca Hamilton is one of only five educators nationwide who has been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Linked In

Congratulations to educator Rebecca Hamilton, an English teacher from West Palm Beach, Florida! She is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Rebecca earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and History from Texas Lutheran University and her Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas, Pan American. She is an Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction, and she earned her PhD in Multicultural Education & Literature from Florida Atlantic University in 2014. In 2002, she completed the requirements for her National Board certification.

Rebecca’s career as an educator spans a total of 39 years. Currently she teaches English and AP Capstone Seminar and Research to juniors and seniors at Suncoast Community High School in Rivera Beach. During the 26 years she has been at that school, she has sponsored several clubs, including Hands across Campus, which hosts the Heritage Assembly each year, the Harry Potter Club, Guidance for Young Ladies, and Students for Gun Control.

Upon her induction in the NTHF, Rebecca offered this advice to fellow educators. “One: Find a good mentor,” she counsels. “Two: Get to know your students as humans and treat them like real people.” she continues. “And Three: Don’t be the ‘sage of the stage.’ It’s ok to say you don’t know something—look it up or have them look it up and learn together,” she concludes.

Her induction in the NTHF is not the only recognition Rebecca has earned. In 2020 she was selected to participate in MIT’s Teacher STEM Program. In 2014 she garnered the Teacher of the Year honors from Macy’s, and in 2017 she was selected to receive the prestigious Dwyer Award from Suncoast. In addition, Rebecca was chosen to be a presenter at the 2016 Association of Ubiquitous and Collaborative Educational International at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and in 2017 she presented at the Hispanic/Latino Studies Summer Institute. In 2018, she spoke at the African & African American Studies Summer Institute, and in 2022 Rebecca was a participant in the inaugural Teaching Hard History program.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame established a museum and recognition program in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor outstanding educators from all corners of the country. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.