Tag Archives: English Teachers

Educator, writer, and US veteran James Francis Price

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Educator, writer, and veteran James Francis Price earned success as a screen writer.

Many educators have logged some successes in areas outside of the classroom. One of these is James Francis Price, an English teacher from Los Angeles who has also earned some success as a screen writer.

James was born on January 2, 1935, in Hollywood, California. As a youngster he attended St. Paul the Apostle School in Westwood. He spent his high school yeas at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and transferred to Los Angeles High School, where he graduated in 1953. After high school, James enlisted in the US Army. He served his country in Korea near the DMZ after the Korean War Armistice was settled.

Once James returned to the United States, he enrolled at UCLA , where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1960. He also completed graduate courses there. During this years, James authored many original screenplays, novels, and short stories. In fact, he earned an Honorable Mention in the Samuel Goldwyn Creative Writing Competition for his short stories “A Crow for One Day” and “Rolie Weed.” In that competition, Francis Ford Copola took the top honors.

After earning his degrees, James accepted a position as a  teacher in the Los Angeles. He earned a reputation as an excellent instructor of composition, reading, English literature, and government. His career there spanned 28 years.reading composition English literature

In 1972, he sold his screenplay The Stolen Moment. He joined the Screen Writers Guild, and continued to write scripts. He also produced at least one novel.

Sadly, this talented and creative teacher passed away on April 11, 2020, in Santa Monica, California. He was 85 years old. He is interred at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

To learn more about James, read his obituary published in the Los Angeles Times.

Teacher Cara Lougheed named Michigan State’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Stoney Creek High School Language Arts teacher Cara Lougheed named Michigan State’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

I enjoy sharing stories about educators that have earned accolades for their dedication and hard work in the classroom. One of these is Cara Lougheed, a high school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher from Michigan. She has been named her state’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

Cara has taught in Rochester Community School District for the past 21 years. She inaugurated her career at Rochester High School in 1998, and then transferred to Stoney Creek High School when it opened in the Fall of 2001. She has taught Advanced Placement and remedial courses for students in the ninth through the twelfth grades.

“The most rewarding thing is getting through to kids, building those relationships, and helping kids see their potential when they don’t see it in themselves,” declared Cara. “Especially in my last 10 years, I have paid a lot more attention to young girls – helping them see that they can have an opinion,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cara has served on committees to design curriculum, improve school climate, and increase attendance. Over the past decade, she has mentored six student teachers from four different universities. She has also served as a building representative for her local teachers’ union and she has served as a delegate for the National Education Association.

Cara is also working on a myriad of other education-related projects. Currently, Cara is serving as a student intern and mentor liaison to Oakland University (OU). She is working collaboratively with the Michigan Program Network (MiPN) and TeachingWorks to improve and strengthen the teacher education program. In addition, Cara is an advisory member of OU’s Vision 20/20 committee, which solicits the input of classroom teachers in making improvements to teacher education.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see the story at this link: Bridge Magazine.

English educator Andee Reilly earns success as a novelist

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Andee Reilly, an instructor of composition at University of Hawaii and former high school  English teacher, has earned success as a novelist.

There are many examples of talented educators who have earned accolades in arenas outside of the classroom. One of these is Andee Reilly, an instructor of English who has earned success as a novelist.

Andee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Following her graduation from Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, California, in 1988, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge. She earned a Master’s degree in English with a Creative Writing Option from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1999. In 2010, she completed the requirements for a second Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside, located in Riverside, California.

Educator and author Andee Reilly

After earning her teaching credential, Andee inaugurated her career as an educator as an English teacher at Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California. Her secret to teaching? “Be patient, be kind, and know what you’re talking about!” Andee advises.

After a few years at the high school level, Andee was hired to teach a course at Moorpark College. She taught additional courses at Pierce College and the College of the Canyons, until securing a position at California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI). While at SCUCI, Andee garnered a Maximus Award for outstanding teaching.

“I love being able to show my students that effective writing can be learned,” Andee confesses. “Most of us aren’t born with some mystical ability to string sentences together in an inspiring and exciting way on our first try. It’s a skill that takes hard work, patience, and perseverance,” she declares.

When Andee relocated to Hawaii, she accepted a position at the University of Hawaii, Maui College, where she currently teaches composition. “Many of my students are fresh from high school,” reveals Andee. “I constantly try to remind myself that the transition to college can be a little scary for some.,” she continues. “I do my best to be patient and understanding of their needs,” she concludes.

In addition to her classroom successes, the honored educator also enjoys success as a published novelist. Andee says that ever since she was a teenager, she has been a fan of the rock group the Rolling Stones, and their music has long served as an inspiration to her writing. In 2015, Andee published her first novel, Satisfaction. This entertaining book tells the story of Ginny Martin, a recent divorcee, who embarks on a road trip to attend every concert on the Rolling Stones’ North American tour. Along the way, Ginny learns more about herself than she expected.

You can find Andee’s book on amazon.com by clicking this link: Satisfaction. To visit her website, click www.andeereilly.com.

Caroline Boa Henderson: Teacher and Dust Bowl chronicler

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High school English and Latin teacher Caroline Boa Henderson, left, chronicled her experiences in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl.

I love to share intriguing stories of dedicated educators who exhibit talents in arenas outside of the classroom. This one is about Caroline Boa Henderson, a high school English and Latin teacher who is also celebrated as an author of her personal Dust Bowl survival story.

Caroline Boa was born on April 7, 1877, in Wisconsin, the eldest daughter of affluent farmers. Even as a young girl, Caroline dreamed of someday owning a piece of land she could call her own.

After her high school graduation, Caroline attended Mt. Holyoke College, where she earned her degree in languages and literature in 1901. The new graduate accepted her first teaching position in Red Oak, Iowa, where she taught high school English and Latin from 1901 to 1903. She then taught in Des Moines, Iowa, until 1907. Then, in pursuit of her childhood dream, Caroline relocated to Texas County, Oklahoma, where she staked out a homestead claim on a quarter section of land and moved into a one-room shack which she christened her castle. There she accepted a teaching position in the local school.

In 1908, Caroline married named Bill Henderson, a Texas County farmer. The couple established a farm in nearby Eva, Oklahoma. The following year, Caroline gave birth to a daughter they named Eleanor. When Eleanor came of age, the youngster enrolled at the University of Kansas, where she eventually completed her bachelor’s degree. In order to help pay for Eleanor’s education, Caroline relocated to Lawrence, Kansas, where the two women shared an apartment while Caroline taught school part-time. During this period, Caroline also enrolled in graduate courses in English at the University of Kansas. In 1935, she completed the requirements for her master’s degree.

During the years from 1931-1937, at the height of the Dust Bowl, Caroline published a series of letters and articles in the prestigious magazine Atlantic Monthly. These letters and articles chronicled the grueling conditions faced by farmers who elected to remain on their farms during the severe conditions presented by the Dust Bowl drought, as harsh a natural disaster as any our nation has seen, even in recent years. She also included descriptions of daily life on her own farm, including her experiences with housekeeping, canning, cooking, tending her vegetable and flower gardens, ironing, and caring for her chickens. Her letters and articles earned her a national following, and were included in a PBS special on the Dust Bowl created by Ken Burns in 2012. To read some excerpts from these published pieces, click on the link Letters from the Dust Bowl.

This very amazing teacher and talented author passed away on August 4, 1966, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sharon Nearby of NYC succumbs to coronavirus

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Sharon Nearby, and English and Language Arts teacher from Staten Island, New York, succumbed to the coronavirus on April 4, 2020.

With sadness, we recognize the passing of yet another dedicated educator who has succumbed to the coronavirus. Sharon Nearby, a teacher in New York City, passed away on April 4, 2020. She was 52 years old. Her passing came just days away from her 53rd birthday, which would have been on April 8.

Sharon was an English and Language Arts teacher at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24) in Staten Island. She taught eight grade and sixth grade there for 27 years. The beloved educator was described as a spirited supporter of everything going on at IS 24. She was a leader in the Language Arts Department, fostering collaboration and mentoring new teachers. She reached out to students with disabilities or those having a difficult time at home, and was always there to applaud student performances at concerts and plays.

“She was a fantastic teacher,” Sharon’s husband, Jeff Nearby, recalled. “Her kids would come back to her and thank her to the point where we were walking through Disney World one day a few years ago, and one of her students sees her and runs up to her and starts hugging her, thanking her for putting her in the right direction and having her pursue English as her major in college.”  With a career that long, Sharon had taught literally thousands of students. “We couldn’t go anywhere on Staten Island without her running into somebody she knew. Whether it was staff in a doctor’s office or in a store, or anywhere,” Jeff commented.

To read more about Sharon, view this online article on silive.com.