Tag Archives: Language Arts Teachers

Educator Marilyn Pryle named PA’s 2021 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher, author, and public speaker Marilyn Pryle has been named Pennsylvania’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Marilyn Pryle.

Many outstanding teachers from all over the country have been recognized for their talent in the classroom. One of these is Marilyn Pryle, a high school Language Arts educator from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. She has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Currently, Marilyn teaches at Abington Heights High School, where she has worked for the past 11 years. The school is a highly rated, public school located with an enrollment of 1,075 students in grades 9-12. The student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1. Previously, Marilyn taught in Boston and Philadelphia. But she inaugurated her professional career in Kathmandu, Nepal, where for two years she worked as a Jesuit International Volunteer. Inall, her career as an educator has spanned 20 years.

In addition to her work in the classroom, has authored seven books for educators on the subject of teaching reading handwriting. She frequently presents at local, state, and national conferences. And, as if all that were not enough, this indefatigable teacher is also an organizer of the Scranton English Conversation Group, a community outreach program for local refugees.

“We’ve all heard that teaching is the profession that creates all other professions, and this is of course true,” asserts Marilyn. “I’d like to go a step further than that. Teaching is the profession that creates the very character of our culture. Teaching is the profession that creates the fabric of our discourse as a nation. Teaching is the profession that creates the conscience of our democracy,” she continues.

Marilyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (1991) and her Master’s degree in Reading Education (1997), both at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. She also completed a Master’s in Fine Arts program with an emphasis in Creative Writing at Emerson College in 2000. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Wilkes University in 2020. In addition, she is a National Board Certified Teacher.

To read more about Marilyn Pryle, click on this link to her website.

Veteran and educator Darren Rainey is devoted to students

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US  veteran and educator Darren Rainey taught high school Language Arts in Delaware after he left the military. He continues to make his mark on the field of education. Photo credit: Teach for America

There are many fine educators who came to the classroom after serving our country in the military. One of these is Darren Rainey, a Language Arts teacher and Athletic Director in Wilmington, Delaware.

Darren deployed with the 4th Squadron, 9th US Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division to Afghanistan in 2013 and to the Republic of Korea in 2015. “I learned some of my toughest leadership lessons through deployments, rotations, and training exercises in this unit,” says Darren. “It was here where I learned the importance of leading through relationships and respecting an individual’s unique experiences.”

When Darren concluded his military career In 2017, he decided to become an educator. He served as the Athletic Director Director and taught Language Arts at the 8th, 9th, and 11th grade level at Freire Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware. “In the classroom, nothing is more rewarding than when a student has that ‘ah-ha’ moment during a lesson or when a kid who is usually quiet has that breakout moment in a class discussion,” asserts Darren.

Currently, Darren serves as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. He also works as an Adjunct Professor on the Delaware campus of  the Relay Graduate School of Education. In addition, he serves as an Impact Leader with Profound Gentlemen, Inc., an organization that builds communities of male educators of color who provide a profound additional impact on the communities they serve.

Darren was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Hampton University for his undergraduate studies and earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education.

To learn more about Darren, click on this link to an article he wrote published by Teach for America.

 

Amanda Hargreaves named South Dakota’s 2021 Teacher of the Year

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South Dakota’s Amanda Hargreaves has been named as her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. She teaches at Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell, South Dakota. Photo credit: Dakota University.

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented educators that have been honored for their work in the classroom. One of these is Amanda Hargreaves, who has been named South Dakota’s 2021 State Teacher of the Year.

Amanda inaugurated her career as an educator in 2010 at Longfellow Elementary School. Although it was her first year of teaching, she established an anti-bullying program there. Currently, Amanda teaches science and Language Arts to sixth graders at Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell, South Dakota. She has taught there since 2011. In Amanda’s classroom, the emphasis is on establishing and nurturing relationships. Her “think outside the box” approach makes her classroom an innovative learning environment. The creative educator incorporates real-world situations and project-based learning in classroom lessons. An example of this is her “force and motion carnival.” For this carnival, students design and construct carnival games to demonstrate their understanding of Newton’s laws of motion.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Amanda serves on the Principal’s Cabinet Leadership Team and her school’s Spirit Committee. She also provides professional development opportunities for her colleagues frequently. And, like many teachers, Amanda offers her students after-school tutoring.

Despite the many challenges and frequent changes in teaching, Amanda is happy with her career choice. “Teaching is the most rewarding profession in the world. Even on my most challenging days, I can’t wait to go back the next day,” she declares.

Amanda earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Dakota State University and her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Dakota.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this article published about her by Dakota University.

Immigrant Jorge Pulleiro named 2021 Idaho Teacher of the Year

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Jorge Pulleiro, who immigrated to the United States from Argentina, has been named the 2021 Idaho State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Idaho State Department of Education.

I enjoy sharing stories about talented educators who have earned recognition for their dedication to their students. One of these is Jorge Pulleiro, a middle school teacher who has been named the 2021 Idaho State Teacher of the Year.

The honored educator, who was born in Argentina, overcame many obstacles to achieve his goal of becoming a teacher. His father died when he was a youngster, and his mother didn’t go to school beyond the third grade. But even as a teenager, Jorge knew the value of education. He began to rehearse his teacher strategies at the age of 16, and by 18 he was tutoring Argentinian high school students in English. Two years later, he immigrated to the United States when he won a scholarship to Brigham Young University in Utah.

After his college graduation, Jorge spent six years in the US Army, from 1999 to 2005. He worked his way up the ranks to become an officer. During these years, he lived in Germany, and later he worked as a rear detachment commander during the war in Iraq. He left the service in 2005 and, through a program called Troops to Teachers, started teaching Spanish at Grant Union High School in John Day, Oregon. He relocated to the Blaine County School District in Idaho in 2012.

Today, Jorge teaches dual immersion (Spanish and Language Arts) to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 at Wood River Middle School in Hailey, Idaho. In addition to his work in the classroom, Jorge serves as the Department Head for the World Language Department, and he has served on various school-improvement teams. His career as an educator spans 27 years.

For his work in the classroom, Jorge has earned many accolades, in addition to his recognition as Idaho State Teacher of the Year, he was named a Spotlight Teacher by the Department of Defense, he has earned the attention of the White House, he garnered a Fulbright teacher exchange to Mexico, and he received the Loretta Wollet Award for Outstanding Teaching at the K-12 level.

Jorge earned his Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Translation and Interpretation from Brigham Young University. He earned a Master’s degree in Teacher Education from Eastern Oregon University, and a second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Boise State University in Idaho.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, read this article published by the Idaho State Department of Education.

Kimberly Stock named Delaware’s 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Kimberly Stock of Wilmington, Delaware, has overcome a rocky childhood as a child abandoned in Korea to become her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Delaware.gov.

I enjoy sharing stories about excellent educators who have earned acclaim for their work in the classroom. One of these is Kimberly Stock, a Language Arts teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Kimberly teaches Advanced Placement Literature, eleventh grade Language Arts. and oversees English-language acquisition courses at McKean High School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. In addition to her work in the classroom, Kimberly serves as a District Diversity Champion, where she advocates for students of color in her district. In this role, she has spoken on panels and social justice committees, has led professional learning programs on diversity, and has empowered student leadership through her school’s Student Voices and Cultural Celebrations advisories. In addition, Kimberly has presented at the PENN Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages conference held at Temple University.

This amazing teacher also works as an administrator of the Claymont Community Center, an educational nonprofit. The organization secures partnerships with school districts, other nonprofits, and local agencies to create basic education and GED programs for adult learners. During her tenure there, the center’s adult ESL program served a multitude of immigrant students.

The honored educator has overcome many obstacles to reach this point in her life. As a child in Korea, Kimberly was abandoned. She once confessed that she does not know her actual age, birth place, or given name. “After living with a foster family in Korea, I was adopted by a white family in Nebraska,” Kimberly revealed. “Despite experiencing moments of trauma, racism, illness, loss and death caused by ethnic violence, I have been given new opportunities and second chances,” she said.

Kimberly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 1996. She earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. There she conducted research on the recruitment and retention of teachers and administrators of color. Additionally, Kimberly earned a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Delaware in 2020. Her work has resulted in a proposed curriculum for a course entitled Methods of Teaching English Learners for all new Delaware educators.