Tag Archives: History Teachers

CA history teacher and US Army veteran (Victor) Gene Jozens

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Retired Fontana High School history and Driver’s Education teacher (Victor) Gene Jozens with his wife Faith. (Photo credit: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

Many fine classroom teachers are also veterans of the United States Armed Forces. One of these was Victor (Gene) Jozens, a history teacher from Rialto, California.

Gene was born on Feb. 15, 1932, in Hammond, Indiana. He left home when only a teenager, and relocated to Southern California, where he supported himself and continued his education. There he enrolled at San Bernardino High School in San Bernardino County.  After he graduated from high school, Gene enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in History. He then returned to San Bernardino County, where he earned his Master’s degree in United States History at the University of Redlands in the city of Redlands.

In a career that spanned 40 years, Gene taught history, US government, and Driver’s Education at Fontana High School in the small rural community of Fontana, California. He also coached the boys tennis team and served as the advisor for the school’s Leo Club.

Gene was a popular teacher who made a positive mark on many students over the course of his career. “Mr. Jozens was my favorite teacher,” remembered former student Melanie Bush Garber. “I had him for Government and Driver’s Training. I took Driver’s Training during the summer and we would go on great adventures, to the beach, the mountains, stopped and toured interesting places. Every day was something new!” she continued. “I never saw him without a smile, and he was so patient with us,” she concluded.

In his spare time, the energetic teacher played tennis, worked on classic cars, and created mosaic tile tables and other carpentry projects. He also earned a private pilot’s license. He was half-owner of a Piper Archer aircraft, and enjoyed treating family and friends on plane rides over the  the San Bernardino Mountains and Valley.

Victor also served his country as a US Army veteran. He was deployed to Korea during the Korean Conflict. But service to his country didn’t end once he was discharged. Later in life, Victor joined the Civil Air Patrol, a civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force. He served in Squadron 25 at Cable Airport in Upland, California.

In addition to his work as an educator and military man, Victor was involved in many community service projects, particularly during his later years. After his retirement in 1996, he became involved with the Marine Toys for Tots campaign. He was known to pick up donated toys, pack them into his plane, and deliver them to the marine base located in Twentynine Palms, California.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on Sept. 24, 2020. He was 88 years old. He will be interred at Riverside National Cemetery with military honors in the coming spring.

To read more about Gene jozens, see his obituary at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Marie Poulson: Teacher and member of Utah House of Reps

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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.

Michigan teacher William Anderson earns fame as Wilder expert

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Teacher William Anderson of  Michigan earns fame as an expert on author and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of the American frontier.

Many fine classroom teachers earn fame in other professions. One of these is William Anderson, an English teacher from Michigan who has gained recognition as a specialist in the subject of author and pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of the American frontier.

William, born in 1952, first became interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder when his third grade teacher introduced her class to the pioneer’s book Little House on the Prairie. “Hearing the Little House books read in elementary school transformed me into an avid reader, fascinated with all things historical,” William described. “I became a history teacher, a researcher, and writer, all because of the introduction to many great books read aloud by my teachers,” he said.

After high school, William enrolled at Albion College, a private liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan. There he majored in English and history. While in college, he worked for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society in DeSmet, South Dakota, during his summer breaks. Later he served as the Director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri.

William currently lives in southeast Michigan. Today, he teaches in the small town of Lapeer, Michigan. As an educator, he often laments that letter writing and reading aloud are lost arts. In the classroom, he asserts, it’s “almost taboo to read to children. It’s seen as a waste of time — it doesn’t impact test scores.”

But sharing the literature of Wilder is so valuable, William believes. “I think Laura provides us with a link to the past, to the pioneer days of American history,” he declares. “Children can feel and understand the past through her. I really think kids learn more about American History – especially about the way people lived day-to-day – from the Little House books than from any history textbook,” he continues.

For his work as a historian, William has garnered the Billington Award from the Western History Association, the Robinson Award from the South Dakota State Historical Society, and awards from the National Council for the Social Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2002, he was selected by former First Lady Laura Bush to speak about the frontier experience at her American Authors Symposia. He has also published articles for magazines such as Travel & Leisure, Highlights, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Saturday Evening Post. He is also a frequent speaker at conferences, libraries, schools, and historical events.

To learn more about William Anderson, see his website at williamandersonbooks.com.

Coronavirus claims life of Florida teacher and coach Robert Shackelford

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Florida history teacher and former football coach Robert Shackelford succumbs to the coronavirus.

Sadly, the coronavirus has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Robert Shackelford, a Florida teacher and former football coach, passed away from the disease on July 22, 2020. He was 61 years old.

In a career that spanned 30 years, Robert taught social studies at Sarasota High School in Sarasota, Florida. Robert had planned to teach only one more year before retiring.

In addition to teaching, Robert earned some fame as a pro football player. He played football in the NFL as a free agent for the Packers in 1981, the Atlanta Falcons in 1982, and the Birmingham Stallions in 1983. He coached football with the US Army at Ft. Benning, Union College in Kentucky, and University of Central Flolrida. In 1994, he coached with the Tampa Bay Storm. Once he went to work at the high school level, Robert coached high school football in Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties.

But it was his career as a classroom educator that really filled his life. “Teaching was not a profession for dad, it was not a job, it was a calling,” remembers Robert’s daughter, Kari Shackelford. “It was something he had a true gift for,” she said. Robert’s colleague Stella Karas agreed. “He really loved what he did,” she declared. “He had among the highest scores for US History, and just was an encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to all things history and government,” she commented. Karas said Robert had a way of capturing the attention of his students. He made a subject not many students were interested in fascinating. “He really made history come alive for his kids,” she said.

Robert Shackelford will be be missed by many. To read more about this amazing educator, see the story about him published online by WTSP-TV 10.

Texas educator Cathy Cluck conducts lessons while on the road

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Cathy Cluck, an AP History teacher from Austin, Texas, brings new meaning to the words “distance learning” as conducted lessons in US history from the road on her tour of significant historical sites. (Photo credit: Photo taken by Cathy Cluck and printed by Yahoo Life) 

I am continuously amazed by the ingenuity and creativity displayed by my fellow educators. Here’s one, in particular, that deserves accolades. She is Cathy Cluck, a history teacher from Texas. Cathy is bringing new meaning to the words “distance learning.”

As part of what she calls her “Great American Road Trip,” Cathy has traveled approximately 3,000 miles all over the country to visit such historically significant sites such as Gettysburg, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and the Lincoln Memorial. From these locations she conducts lessons about the important events that occurred there. Cathy teaches AP US History and AP European History at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.

Over a span of 15 days, the innovative teacher set up a hotspot in her SUV and uses a camera on a tripod and her phone to broadcast her history-based lessons from the road. “I’ve had class from my car, I’ve had class from rest areas,” and she confessed that once she even administered a history online while in a parking lot in Tennessee. In all, Cathy visited a total of 11 historical sites. 

“This is something I’d never be able to do in a normal school year,” Cathy remarks. “I was just trying to figure out, how can I make this school year interesting and fun for kids? I mean, I don’t know how to do [remote learning]. I wasn’t trained to be an online teacher,” she confessed, “So I figured, what if I teach history from the places where it happened? Maybe that would at least make them want to log in to find out where their teacher is every day.”

To read more about Cathy’s amazing adventure, see this link at Yahoo Life.