Tag Archives: Language Arts Teachers

Teachers who specialized in Language Arts.

Alabama teacher Angie Maples garners recognition

Posted on by
Reply

I always enjoy sharing stories about outstanding teachers who have earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Angie Maples, a high school teacher from Alabama. She has been named the SuperStar Teacher of the Month for September, 2024, by the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce.

Angie teachers English and Language Arts at Career Academies of Decatur (CAD) in Decatur, Alabama. Her career as an educator spans 24 years.

The SuperStar Teacher program celebrates educators who make a significant impact on their students and communities. Th recognition program is part of the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and supporting outstanding educators in Decatur, Morgan County, and Hartselle. The honor comes with a $150 gift card for Angie’s classroom, a $50 gift card for her personal use, and a $1,000 grant for her school.

 

English teacher Renee Atkinson named South Carolina’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

High school English teacher Renee Atkinson has been named South Carolina’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Horry Georgetown Technical College

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. Today, I share the story of Renee Atkinson, an English teacher from South Carolina. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Renee teaches Language Arts, Advanced Placement Language Arts, and Advanced Placement English Literature at Aynor High School in the Horry County Schools District. She has also held significant roles in the development of the school’s International Baccalaureate program. In a career that spans 21 years in the profession, she has spent 17 of them in Horry County schools.

Renee says she considers building positive relationships with students her most important contribution to education and feels strongly that students must be able to trust her in order to learn. She works to create a culture of inclusivity and open-mindedness in the classroom, encouraging students to be contributing members of the learning community.

When asked to describe her teaching philosophy, Renee instantly responded, “The joy and passion that comes from being a teacher and stories of students that can motivate teachers to stay with it, and continue to work hard for our children.”

Renee earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Clemson University in 2002. She earned her Master’s in Education in English from Francis Marion University in 2004. She completed the requirements for a degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University in 2013. She earned her National Board Certification in 2009.

As the South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Renee will serve for one school year as a roving ambassador providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements, working with colleagues, leading the State Teacher Forum, and serving as the sate spokesperson for over 55,000 educators. As part of her recognition as a state teacher of the year, Renee received a $25,000 cash prize and the use of a brand-new BMW for one year.

 

Eric Jenkins named Indiana’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

High school English/Language Arts teacher Eric Jenkins has been named Indiana’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Circle City Broadcasting

I am always excited to share the story of an exemplary teacher who has earned recognition for their work. One of these is Eric Jenkins, a high school teacher English from Franklin, Indiana.

Eric teaches English/Language Arts courses to sophomores at Franklin Community High School. He has taught there for the past 11 years. He also teaches an Advanced College Project composition course at Indiana University. Furthermore, he is a teacher and consultant for the Hoosier Writing Project, a program which helps educators improve their writing skills and, in the process, become better writing teachers.

The honored educator has sage advice for beginning educators. “Teach fearlessly,” he advises. “And the first kind of tenant of ‘teach fearlessly’ is that you need to not be afraid to take care of yourself. We need to be well before we can take care of our students,” he continues. “Beyond that, I think the other piece of advice is, don’t be afraid to reach out to the community for support when things are getting hard,” he says.

An Indiana native, Eric inaugurated his teaching career at the American Christian Academy in Ibadan, Niberia, in 2007. The school was located in a walled compound outside of central Ibadan, Eric remembers. “You know the joke about teachers living at school? Well, we actually did,” he recounts. “There was a house on the school grounds that we lived in, a short walk away from the classroom buildings. Three other American teachers and I shared that house,” he continues. Once he returned to the United States, he taught for three years in Trussville, Alabama. In 2014, he relocated to his home state of Indiana.

Eric earned his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary English/Language Arts Education from Indiana University in 2007. He earned a Master’s degree in Literacy from the State University of New York, Albany. He completed the requirements for his teaching certificate from Ball State University in 2017.

To read more about Eric, click on this link to an article about him published by Indiana University, Bloomington.

Wisconsin educator Shelly Krajacic inducted into the 2024 National Teachers Hall of Fame

Posted on by

 

English teacher Shelly Moore Krajacic of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been inducted into the 2024 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Photo Credit: Wisconsin Education Association Council

I am always excited when the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) announces the names of exceptional educators who have been inducted into their hallowed halls. This year, the organization has selected Shelly Moore Krajacic, an educator at South Milwaukee High School, as one of the five teachers nationwide who has been so honored.

Shelley earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Education from University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, in 199y7. She earned her Masters degree in English/Language Arts from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, in 2006. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Urban Education from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in 2024. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2017.

 

Shelly began her career in the classroom in 1998 at Ellsworth Community High School, where she taught English and Theatre until 2018. She then taught English Education courses at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee before transferring to South Milwaukee High School in 2021. There she teaches in the English Department and serves the school as their Student Leadership Advisor. In all, her career as an educator spans 23 years.

“It is my obligation to see my students in ways they have never seen themselves,” Shelly asserts. “I need to see possibilities in them that they never knew existed and to help them believe in themselves enough to discover pathways to those possibilities,” she continues. This is a mission she does not take lightly. “Teaching is the single greatest profession there is,” Shelly declares.

The NTHF honors teachers through an annual recognition program, inducting five outstanding educators nationally every year. The organization, located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, was founded in 1989. The recognition program annually honors five of the nation’s most outstanding PreK-12 educators who have at least 20 years of teaching experience. To visit their website, click on NTHF.

 

Military veteran and teacher LouAnn Johnson known for memoir on which movie “Dangerous Minds” was based

Posted on by

US military veteran and teacher LouAnn Johnson became famous for writing the book on which the movie Dangerous Minds was based. Photo Credit:US Marine Corps

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 LouAnn, click on this link to the APB Speakers Bureau.