Teacher Appreciation Day is coming up in just a few weeks! It’s not too early to think about gifting your colleagues or your child’s teachers with a little something to show your appreciation for all their hard work in the classroom. When trying to decide just the right gift consider copies of my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. Each volume is packed with inspirational stories about remarkable educators in American history and the historical implications of their pioneering work.

Among the captivating stories in Chalkboard Champions is the story of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who volunteered to teach emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman, and educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who, together with her students, defied Jim Crow laws to integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for thousands of Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the East LA educator who proved to that inner city Latino youths could successfully meet the demands of a rigorous curriculum.

In Chalkboard Heroes, read about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa, all of whom put themselves at risk to fight for improved conditions for disenfranchised citizens. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican american War raged around her.

All these remarkable stories and more can be shared with someone you know this year on Teacher Appreciation Day!

Teachers, this year, April Fools’ Day does not fall on a school day! No joke! You can relax a little bit, but you still need to be wary of your family and friends!

The National Memorial to Fallen Educators located in Emporia, Kansas, recognizes the sacrifices of Chalkboard Champions and other school personnel who gave their lives while protecting their students. Photo Credit: Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Throughout American history, many educators and others who work in schools have perished in the line of duty. All too often, the news is filled with stories about these Chalkboard Champions who have suffered from accidents, acts of violence, or from the global coronavirus pandemic. Some lost their lives while protecting students. All of them are heroes. To recognize their sacrifices, the National Teachers Hall of Fame has constructed a permanent memorial to honor their memory.

The memorial, named the Memorial to Fallen Educators, is located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The monument, originally inspired by the 2012 mass shooting at Sandyhook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was officially dedicated on June 12, 2014. On April 30, 2018, a bill sponsored by United States Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and Kansas Representative Roger Marshall was signed into law that designated the memorial a national monument.

The structure measures 10′ by 10′, and is composed of black granite. Surrounding the monument is a walkway, benches, illumination, and landscaping. To date, approximately 180 teachers, administrators, and other school personnel are honored on the monument. “Their lives were cut short through accidents or intentional violence simply because they chose the profession of education,” remarked Carol Strickland, former Executive Director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, which oversees the memorial. “They lost their lives doing what they love—working with America’s schoolchildren.”

The earliest educator honored on the memorial is Pennsylvania teacher Enoch Brown, and is dated 1763. The teacher and nine of his students were murdered during hostilities between Native Americans led by Chief Pontiac who attacked settlers for a bounty promised by then Pennsylvania Governor John Penn.

You can visit the monument in person at 12 West 18th Ave, Emporia, Kansas 66801. You can also check out the online version of the memorial, click on this link: National Memorial to Fallen Educators.