Tag Archives: English Teachers

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.

Texas educator Monica Washington inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Former high school English teacher Monica Washington from Texarkana, Texas, is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame.  Photo Credit: Linked In

Congratulations to educator Monica Washington, a former English teacher from Texarkana, Texas. She is one of only five educators nationwide who have been inducted into the 2023 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Monica inaugurated her career as a teacher in 1998 at an inner-city school in Memphis, Tennessee. After transferring to Texas High School in Texarkana, she taught English and AP English and served as the Department Chair at Texas High School for nine years there. During her career, she has also served as a a coordinator for the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and a REACH co-ordinator on her campus. Over the course of her 20-year career, she has taught grades 7-12.

Monica once confessed that she has wanted to be a educator since she was a child. She revealed that when she was young, she taught teddy bears in her room and later “tortured” friends from her neighborhood with lessons on her porch. She says that the encouragement to learn and teach came from her mother and other teachers in her life.

In addition to her work at Texas High, Monica is an adjunct professor at both LeMoyne-Owen College and Texarkana College. She is member of the NEA Foundation Board and chairs the NEA Teacher Advisory Committee. She has also co-chaired the Leading the Profession Committee for the Texas State Teachers Association. Additionally, she has served in the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. And, as if all this were not enough, she is also an instructional coach for BetterLesson.

The honor she has garnered from the NTHF is not the only recognition Monica has received. She was selected the Texas State Teacher of The Year in 2014. The same year, she garnered the Ermalee Boice Instructional Advocacy Award and an NAACP Special Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named a Lowell Milken Center Unsung Hero Fellow. The same year she was selected as a NEA Foundation Global Fellow and travelled to Peru to study the educational system there. In 2022, she was selected a Voices for Honest Education Fellow. In this role, Monica

Monica earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from LeMoyne-Owen College in 1998. She earned her Master’s degree in English from the University of Memphis in 2003. She completed the requirements for a degree as a Specialist in Education from Walden University in 2019.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia in 1989 to honor outstanding educators through a recognition program and museum. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades pre K-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.

 

CO teacher Ashley Lowe develops individualized student learning plans

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Colorado English teacher Ashley Lowe builds meaningful relationships and individualized student learning plans. Photo Credit: Pikes Peak Early College

Our nation’s students are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers in the classroom. One of these is Ashley Lowe, a middle school English teacher from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Ashley teaches eighth grade at Falcon Middle School in Peyton, Colorado. Her career as an educator spans four years. Prior to entering the teaching profession, she worked as an associate editor and video journalist for Pulp Newsmagazine.

Building meaningful relationship with students is powerful and important, asserts Ashley. She also strives to listen to others, set fair but high expectations for students, and communicate her content knowledge in numerous ways to appeal to all types of learners. And she also says that, in addition to building the language skills of reading, writing, and oral communication, she also teaches empathy. “As educators, we have to remember that beyond the confines of our classrooms and schools, there are students who have been positively impacted in small and large ways,” she declares.

Ashley is well-known for working collaboratively with her peers. She is a participant in her campus Modern Teacher group. The mission of the group is to create a learner-centered culture on the campus. In fact, her individualized student learning plans are so learner-centered that they were nationally recognized at the 2021 National Conference on Digital Convergence.

For her work in the classroom, Ashley has earned many accolades. She was named her District’s Teacher of the Year in 2021. And this year, she is one of seven finalists named by the Colorado Department of Education for her state’s Teacher of the Year.

Ashely attended Pueblo Community College, where she earned her Associate of Arts degree. While there, she garnered a Rising Star Award for her participation in community service projects and programs in 2016. She served as a Destination Imagination Team Manager for elementary students, and she created the first campus book club to build a stronger reading community. In 2019, Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Colorado State University, Pueblo. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in English through an online program at Arizona State University.