Tag Archives: English Teachers

High school English teacher and author Frederick Houk Law

Posted on by

High school English teacher and widely-published author Frederick Houk Law. Photo credit: Garrison House Ephemera

Many talented classroom teachers have also earned fame in areas other than education. One of these was Frederick Houk Law, a New York teacher who also earned acclaim as an author.

Frederick was born on September 7, 1871, in New York.

Frederick taught courses in English at Stuyvesant High School n New York. Throughout his life, the accomplished educator traveled widely, treking across Europe on bicycle, touring the African continent from Cape Town to Cairo, and exploring the interior of British Guiana.

This intrepid teacher wrote essays, reference works, biographies, textbooks, and other nonfiction books. In all, he published 102 works in 277 publications. The volume most often found in library collections is his Mastery of Speech: A Course In Eight Parts, published in 1918. His How To Write And How To Deliver An Oration published in 1926 is also frequently found in libraries.

Frederick also wrote plays, children’s tales, legends, and short stories for pulp fiction magazines such as Munsey’s. The periodical advertised itself as “a magazine of the people and for the people, with pictures and art and good cheer and human interest throughout.” The teacher’s most famous fiction work was The Heart of Sindhra: A Novel, published in 1898. The novel is set in 19th-century northern India, and relates the story of a revolutionary force that derives its inspiration from wisdom and treasure emanating from a lost world in the mountains.

This talented educator and gifted author passed away in his home state of New York on his birthday, September 7, in 1957.

See this link for a list of books by Frederick Houk Law that are available on amazon.

Mississippi teacher Samara Rand succumbs to Covid-19

Posted on by

With great sadness we report that high school English teacher Samara Rand of Lexington, Mississippi, succumbed to Covid-19 on November, 19, 2020.  Photo credit: Rory Doyle for the Hechinger Report

With great sadness we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another talented educator. Samara Rand, a high school English teacher from Lexington, Mississippi, succumbed to the disease on November 19, 2020. She was only 25 years old.

Samara was raised in Holmes County, Mississippi, and lived in Lexington at the time of her passing. In 2017, the young teacher graduated from Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, summa cum laude. Once she had earned her degree, Samara launched her career as an educator in the Holmes County School District. She was in her second year of teaching.

Last spring, Samara spoke to reporter Bracey Harris of the Hechinger Report about how she was helping her students make it through a tough semester. A dedicated educator, Samara started adapting her lessons for online learning. She reached out to students who weren’t logging in, and she worried about how families would find ways to make graduation special. “Even though some students say they don’t like school, some depend on school as a safe haven,” Samara told the reporter. “Everyone misses it.”

Before being stricken with Covid-19, Samara had not demonstrated any previous health issues, and she was pregnant. About three months ago, as a result of complications from Covid, she began experiencing shortness of breath. Her breathing problems worsened to the degree that doctors decided to deliver her baby so she could be treated. The young educator was placed on a ventilator and never came off. Her baby, now three months old, is being cared for by relatives.

To read more about Samara Rand, click on this link to an article published by the Hechinger Report.

Margaret Antoinette Clapp: The teacher who won a Pulitzer

Posted on by

Often talented educators garner accolades of international proportions. Once such educator was Margaret Antoinette Clapp, a high school English teacher and historian from New York City who also happened to be the winner of a Pulitzer prize for biography.

Margaret Clapp was born on April 10, 1910, in East Orange, New Jersey. As a teenager, she enrolled at East Orange High School, where she graduated in 1926. At the time of her high school graduation, she earned a scholarship to Wellesley College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Economics in 1930. While in college, Margaret was honored as a Wellesley College Scholar for her academic achievements.

Margaret accepted her first teaching position at the prestigious Todhunter School for Girls in Manhattan, New York, where she taught English literature for 12 years. During these years, she enrolled in Columbia University, completing the requirements for her Master’s degree in 1937.

During and after World War II, Margaret taught history at several New York City universities, including City College of New York, Douglass College, Columbia University, and Brooklyn College. Her doctoral dissertation at Columbia drew much praise, and was eventually developed into the biography Forgotten First Citizen: John Bigelow. John Bigelow was a little-known nineteenth-century politician, editor, reformer, and diplomat. Margaret’s dissertation was developed and eventually published in 1947. The manuscript was named the winner of the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. For her achievement, the talented teacher was featured in a cover story for Time Magazine on October 10, 1949.

When she was 39 years old, Margaret accepted a position as the eighth president of Wellesley College, and she served in this capacity from 1949 until her retirement in 1966. At the time she accepted the position, she was one of only five women who were serving as university presidents. During her tenure, Wellesley’s financial resources and facilities were expanded to a substantial degree, and Margaret earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for careers for women. For her work at Wellesley, she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy for Arts and Sciences in 1952. The library at Wellesley is named in her honor.

After leaving Wellesley, Margaret served briefly as administrator of Lady Doak College, a women’s college in Madurai, South India. She was then named as United States cultural attache to India, and eventually became an official of public affairs in the United States Information Agency until her final retirement in 1971.

After returning from India, this amazing chalkboard champion settled in Tyringham, Massachusetts. In her later years, she was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, she passed away on May 3, 1974.

You can read more about this amazing Chalkboard champion at this link: encyclopedia.com.

LouAnne Johnson: Educator, author, and veteran

Posted on by

LouAnne Johnson: Educator, author, journalist, and former servicewoman in both the US Navy and the US Marines. Photo credit: The Authors Guild

Sometimes teachers feel like running our classroom is a lot like being in the military. We have to organize our time like clockwork, plan our lessons in meticulous detail, and often instill some regimental discipline on highly-energized recruits. One Chalkboard Champion who has done all this very successfully is LouAnne Johnson, an educator, author, journalist, and former servicewoman in both the US Navy and the US Marines.

LouAnne is best known for her book My Posse Don’t Do Homework, which was adapted as the film Dangerous Minds  starring Michelle Pfeiffer in 1995, and a television series starring Annie Potts in 1996.

LouAnne was raised in Youngsville, Pennsylvania. After her graduation from high school, she enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, but dropped out after a few weeks to enlist in the US Navy, who sent her to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. She served nine years on active duty, achieving the rank of Petty Officer First Class. She wrote about her experiences during these years in her 1986 book Making Waves: A Woman in This Man’s Navy. She later transferred to the US Marine Corps, where she rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Throughout her military service, LouAnne earned the Navy Commendation Medal and the Air Force Achievement Award for her work as a journalist and ​radio-television broadcaster.

When her stint in the Marine Corps was completed, LouAnne earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of LaVerne in LaVerne, California, her Master’s degree in teaching English from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sage Colleges in Albany, New York.

In 1989 LouAnne garnered her first position as an educator at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, where she began teaching reading and writing to non-English speakers as an intern. Two years later, she was appointed Department Chair of a special program for at-risk teens. During the government evaluation of ten similar pilot programs, LouAnne’s group was rated first in academic achievement, increased self-esteem, and student retention. Since then, LouAnne has taught English, adult basic education, developmental reading, and writing at high schools and colleges.

To learn more about LouAnne Johnson, see her website at louannejohnson.com.

Marie Poulson: Teacher and member of Utah House of Reps

Posted on by

Marie Poulson, former high school English and History teacher, has also served her community in the Utah House of Representatives.  Photo credit: mariepoulson.org

Many fine educators go on to distinguished careers in politics. One of these is Marie Poulson, a high school English and History teacher who has also served her community in the Utah House of Representatives.

Marie was born and raised in Springville, Utah. After her graduation from Springville High School, she enrolled at Brigham Young University,  where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in both English and History. She also earned her teacher’s credentials there.

After teaching one year at Provo High School, Marie moved with her husband to first San Francisco, California, and then to Germany. When she returned from Germany in 1990, Marie resumed her career as an educator. She taught English and History first at Mount Jordan Middle School in Sandy, then Bingham High School in South Jordan, and finally at Riverton High School in Riverton. Marie’s career in Utah’s public schools has spanned 16 years.

In 2008, the former teacher was elected on the Democratic ticket to serve in the Utah House of Representatives to serve the 46th district. She has served in this role since January 1, 2009. During her tenure in the House, the former teacher served on the House Education Committee; the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee; the House Ethics Committee; the Health Reform Task Force; and the House Political Subdivisions Committee. She also served on the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Commission.

In addition to her career as a teacher and her work as a politician, Marie has served as a scout leader, a school volunteer, and a coach. She has also organized canned food drives for the Utah Food Bank and made several trips to New Orleans to aid Hurricane Katrina victims.