Tag Archives: English Teachers

California teacher Maria Lopez worked to secure the right to vote for women

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Dedicated English as a Second Language teacher Maria Lopez worked diligently towards securing the right to vote for women in California. Photo Credit: National Women’s History Museum

There are many dedicated women educators who worked tirelessly to secure the right to vote for women. One of these was Maria Lopez, an English teacher from Southern California.

Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez was born in Los Angeles in 1881, at Casa Vieja, her family home in the San Gabriel. Her father, who worked as a blacksmith, was an immigrant from Mexico.

As a young girl, Maria graduated from Pasadena High School in 1897. She then enrolled at the Los Angeles State Normal School, which would later become UCLA. There she studied to be a teacher. Once she earned her teaching certificate, Maria accepted a position at Los Angeles High School, where she taught English as a Second Language. She also worked as a translator. During her years as a professional educator, Maria earned a reputation for being a devoted teacher, working diligently to educate the general public about California culture and to promote Spanish-language instruction. In 1902, Maria became part of the faculty at the University of California, becoming possibly the youngest instructor on staff there at the time.

In addition to teaching at the university, Maria became active in the local Votes for Women Club, and in 1911, she was elected President of the College Equal Suffrage League. She translated information about the suffrage movement into Spanish in order to marshal support for the movement in the Hispanic community. She traveled throughout Southern California, distributing suffrage posters and literature and giving speeches, all in Spanish. In addition, she wrote a persuasive opinion piece published in the Los Angeles Herald on Aug. 20, 1911, which advanced the argument that California could not call itself a democracy while disenfranchising half its citizens. Happily, California passed a suffrage proposition on Oct. 10, 1911, becoming the sixth state in the nation to grant the right to vote to women, nine years before the passage of the 19th Amendment.

During World War I, Maria left her teaching position to support the war effort. She relocated to New York City, where she took courses in auto mechanics and flying. Then she traveled to France, where she served as an ambulance driver. While there, the hospital where Maria and three other women were stationed was bombarded by enemy fire, and the four worked all night carrying wounded soldiers to safety. The French government honored the four for their bravery in 1918.

Maria passed away on Nov. 20, 1977, in Orange, California. She is buried at San Gabriel Christian Church in Los Angeles.

Educator and author Renee Jones named Nebraska’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to high school English teacher and author Renee Jones, who has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Lincoln Public Schools

Congratulations are due to high school teacher Renee Jones from Lincoln, Nebraska. She has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year!

Renee teaches English, reading interventions, and oral communications courses at Lincoln High School. She says that connecting with students is the key to their academic success. In her classroom, she emphasizes building relationships. In fact, she says her philosophy can best be summarized as connection before curriculum. “Connecting students is the most influential and important element of my role as a teacher,” Renee declares. “Connecting students with me, with their peers, and with themselves, is at the heart of gaining the confidence they need,” she continues. Renee is so passionate about and successful at this practice that she was selected to speak on the topic at the 2022 South by Southwest (SXSW) EDU National Conference in 2022.

Renee’s selection as the 2023 Nebraska Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition she has earned. In 2019, she garnered the  Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools Inspire Award.

And these awards are not the only accomplishments Renee can boast about. During the pandemic, Renee authored a memoir describing the complications of balancing her work with her responsibilities as the mother of four young children. The volume, published by Google books in 2021, is entitled It Was Always Four: My Pandemic Journey in Becoming and Walking Away from Life as a Stay-At-Home Mom.

Renee earned her Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2020 from Doane University, a private university located in Crete, Nebraska. She inaugurated her career as an educator in 2015 when she was hired to  teach English at Bryan Community Focus Program in Lincoln. In all, her career as an educator has spanned eight years.

 

Lisa Leaheey named Rhode Island’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Lisa Leaheey of Providence, Rhode Island, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit:North Providence School Department

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Lisa Leaheey, a high school teacher from Rhode Island who has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Lisa has been teaching at North Providence High School in Providence for her entire 23-year career. Currently she teaches English to freshman and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition to seniors there. Ever since the beginning of her career, Lisa has dedicated herself to helping students be successful, and she continuously seeks innovative ways to engage her students in class while at the same time challenging their individual strengths and supporting their individual needs.

In addition to her work with students, Lisa created and curated the North Providence School Department’s Technology Integration and Distance Learning Support website. This amazing educator also serves as the Chair of the visiting committee for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). She has also served on the NEASC’s Commission on Public Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools. Lisa is a FUSE Fellow, and in this role she supports districts in preparing for accreditation visits. She has done this work for the past 14 years. And as if all the were not enough, for three years she has served as an instructional coach with Rhode Island’s Highlander Institute, working to incorporate technology into district classrooms.

Lisa learned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education and her Master’s degree in English, both from Rhode Island College. She has also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology Integration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Congratulations, Lisa!

Teacher of the deaf Caitlin Buckley honored by Kentucky Dept of Education

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Caitlin Buckley, a teacher at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, Kentucky, has been honored with a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award, and she is one of 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award. Photo Credit: Kentucky Department of Education

There are many talented educators working with our nation’s special education students. One of these is Caitlin Buckley, who teaches at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville. She has recently been honored by the Kentucky State Department of Education as a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award winner. She is also one 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award.

Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where she earned a dual certification in middle grade English and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Education. She later earned her Master’s degree in Literacy, also from EKU. She learned ASL in 2015, but picked up more when she did her practicum and student teaching.

The honored educator says she never expected to go into deaf education. Instead, she says, the decision was a happy accident. Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University, which is the only college in Kentucky with a DHH teacher program. After changing her major five times, she settled on a career in deaf education because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.

Caitlin’s career as an educator has spanned four years. She teaches courses in literature and composition with English/Language Arts (ELA) and reading development to students in grades 6-8. In her classroom, she conducts instruction using American Sign Language (ASL). In addition to teaching her courses, Caitlin serves her school as a class sponsor, helps develop and deliver professional development, and works alongside colleagues to combat language deprivation.

To learn more about Caitlin Buckley, click on this link to a story about her published by the Advocate-Messenger.

NC teacher Raquel Aguilar honored by WAVY-TV 10

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Elementary school teacher Raquel Aguilar of North Carolina has been honored was an Excellent Educator by Dare County Schools and WAVY-TV 10. Photo credit: Wavy TV 10

Our nation’s bilingual students are fortunate to have many talented bilingual educators devoted to their educational success. One of them is Raquel Aguilar, an elementary school teacher in North Carolina. In May, 2022, she was selected as an Excellent Educator by Dare County Schools and WAVY-TV 10.

Raquel teaches third grade at Kitty Hawk Elementary School in the Dare County School District located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She teaches in the Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program. In addition to English and Spanish, she is also proficient in French.

Through her work, Raquel is not just teaching her students another language, she’s also making sure that they understand why being bilingual is so important. “Being bilingual has opened so many doors for me and that’s what I hope for my kids too,” she says. But the honored educator says the bilingual program is much more than just teaching students another language. “It’s about recognizing differences and that differences are okay. It doesn’t matter what language you speak. It doesn’t matter how you look,” she asserts.

In addition to her work with her third graders, Raquel leads a curriculum initiative in her District, working with fellow teachers to develop resources for the Spanish Immersion Program. She also mentors beginning teachers.

Raquel is a native of Costa Rica. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Universidad de Costa Rica in 2014. She earned her Master’s degree in Primary Education from the Universidad Methodist de Costa Rica in 2017.

The Excellent Educators program is a WAVY-TV 10 initiative to celebrate local teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students and communities during the last academic year. These Excellent Educators were nominated by their school divisions.

To learn more about Raquel Aguilar, click on this link to an article about her published on WAVY.com.