Tag Archives: Language Arts Teachers

Meghan Hatch-Geary named Connecticut State’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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Meghan Hatch-Geary named Connecticut State’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations to English teacher Meghan Hatch-Geary, who has been named the Connecticut State’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Meghan teaches World Literature and Advanced Placement English Language Competition at Woodland Regional High School in Beacon Falls.

Meghan was raised in Meriden, Connecticut. After she graduated from Maloney High School, she enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts in New York City. There she studied musical theater. Ten years later, she earned her Bachelor’s degree at Hunter College, where she majored in Black and Latino Studies. She also minored in English literature. Once she earned her degree, Meghan traveled to Ghana where she served as a volunteer teaching primary school. She also completed a stint as an outreach educator in Ecuador.  When she returned to the United States, she pursued a graduate degree in education from the University of New Haven.

The honored educator’s career at Woodland Regional has spanned 11 years. In that time, she has garnered recognition for her work with Woodland Worldwide, an extracurricular organization she founded to empower young women. Through the organization, the students develop their leadership skills through service projects that raise awareness about gender discrimination, media bias, and human traffricking. The projects benefit others both locally and globally.

“I’m fortunate to have maintained strong relationships with students, many of whom have graduated college and are pursuing careers centered on activism, social justice, service, and education,” Meghan declared. “I see the direct results of our impact not only in their choice of profession, but when they return to Woodland to present workshops, perform in our awareness-raising cabaret show, or speak to our classes,” she continued.

“Sometimes the most powerful and lasting lessons happen after school,” asserted Meghan. “Working with our students and watching them find and use their voices to take action in their lives and communities has been immeasurably rewarding. It is the reason I became a teacher, and the reason I believe teaching is the most powerful profession in the world,” she concluded.

To read more about Meghan, read this article published on Nov. 1 by the Connecticut Educators Association.

Middle school educator Anne Martin selected one of three VFW Teachers of the Year

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Middle school educator Anne Martin named one of three 2019 Teachers of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, also known as the VFW, named three stellar educators as their Teachers of the Year for 2018-2019. One of these is Anne Martin, a middle school teacher at Williams Middle School located in Tracy, California. Anne earned the distinction because of her dedication towards honoring America’s veterans.

Anne teaches seventh grade Language Arts and Social Studies. In a career that has spanned 24 years, this remarkable educator has used her experience as a Gold Star family member to help her students better understand the sacrifices made by America’s military. Anne’s work includes organizing school-wide campaigns to collect donations and thank you letters for deployed troops. She also coordinates the school’s annual Patriot Day celebration, which includes a patriotic door-decorating contest. In addition, the honored teacher oversees the school’s Associated Student Body elections, helping students to understand and navigate the democratic process.

Anne revealed that she began organizing military-related events and activities after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was at that time that she encouraged her students to contribute to a “chain of thanks” to send to American soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The chains have been used at the local VFW Post during a Veterans Day celebration. Anne says activities like this give students opportunities to appreciate the sacrifices of others. “The fact that they’re here going to school is really a privilege because of the [men and women who served our country],” Anne declares.

“Students who are lucky enough to have teachers like Anne develop a deep sense of patriotism and understand the values and freedoms upon which our nation was founded,” expressed VFW National Commander B.J. Lawrence. “The VFW is honored to recognize the vital role America’s educators play in nurturing and encouraging the civic-minded leaders of tomorrow,” he continued.

Each year, the VFW names one elementary, one intermediate, and one high school teacher for their National Citizenship Education Teacher Award. Bobbie Schamens, a fourth grade teacher at Meadowview Intermediate School in Sparta, Wisconsin, was named the elementary school winner. Kevin Wagner, an Advanced Placement History teacher at Carlisle High School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was chosen to represent the high school level.

To learn more about these amazing educators, view the article at VFW.

Kimberly Dickstein named New Jersey 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Kimberly Dickstein named New Jersey’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations are in order for high school English teacher Kimberly Dickstein, who has been named New Jersey’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

Kimberly teaches at Haddonfield Memorial High School. Her career at Haddonfield has spanned 11 years. During these years, the indefatigable educator advises the school’s Model United Nations, Shakespeare Troupe, and Stand With Camden. She also serves on the Community Advisory Board and advises the Youth Leadership Council. And as if all that wasn’t enough, she also contributes her many talents to her community’s Urban Promise, Cathedral Kitchen, Book Smiles, the Camden Rescue Mission, Camden Reads, and Camden Printworks.

Kimberly says she teaches her students to embrace her own spirit of volunteerism. She strives to help them understand that social justice begins with listening to others and standing together. “I have always felt the call to public service,” the teacher once confessed. “I can think of no better way to serve than in the classroom,” she said.

Over the years, Kimberly has earned many accolades. In June, 2019, Princeton University recognized her as a Distinguished Secondary School Teacher. For her contributions to her community, Camden County honored her with their Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Medal in 2019. To earn this honor, the hardworking educator inaugurated an advocacy campaign with her students in 2018. The group helped a former child soldier from South Sudan achieve his educational goals. The effort received local and national attention.

And that’s not all. South Jersey Magazine named Kimberly a South Jersey Super Woman in November, 2017. In 2017, the Victorious Foundation nominated the stellar educator for the L’Oreal Woman of Worth Award program, which recognizes women who make an extraordinary impact on their communities.

This amazing woman grew up in Camden County, New Jersey. There she attended Voorhees Township Public Schools. The honored educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science in 2008, and her Master’s in English Secondary Education in 2009, both from Rutger’s University. She has also completed courses in Shakespeare studies at the Folger Shakespeare Library and Oxford University. In addition, Kimberly has furthered her understanding of her course material by participating in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Kimberly Dickstein: A true Chalkboard Champion!

To read more about Kimberly, see this online article posted by the State of New Jersey Department of Education.

Educator Donald Graves: Known internationally as a pioneer of teaching writing

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Former elementary school teacher Donald Graves became known internationally as a teacher of the writing process.

Many talented classroom teachers become excellent trainers for other teachers. One of these was Donald Graves, an elementary school teacher who became internationally known as a pioneer in teaching the writing process.

Donald Hillard Graves was born in September 11, 1930, in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. His father was a school principal, and his mother was a nurse.

Donald earned his Bachelor’s degree at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, in 1952. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from Bridgewater State University in Brdigewater, Massachusetts, in 1959. He completed the requirements for his Ph.D. in Education at the University at Buffalo in New York in 1973. Donald was also a veteran; he served four years in the US Coast Guard.

Donald launched his career as an elementary school teacher at East Fairhaven Elementary School, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, in 1956. Two years later he accepted a position as the school’s principal. Later he became the co-director of a teacher preparation program for urban educators. He also served as a professor of an early childhood program. In his later years, he became Professor Emeritus at the University of New Hampshire.

During his lengthy career as an educator, Donald pioneered new methods for teaching the writing process. In fact, he is known internationally as an expert in the field of teaching writing. In a career as an author that spanned 25 years, he published 26 books, most of them related to the topics of teaching and writing.

“Write yourself,” Donald often advised other teachers. “Invite children to do something you’re already doing. If you’re not doing it, ‘Hey,’ the kids say, ‘I can’t wait to grow up and not have to write, like you.’ They know,” he said. “And for the short term and the long term, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by writing. All of us need it as a survival tool in a very complex world,” he asserted. “The wonderful thing about writing is that it separates the meaningless and the trivial from what is really important. So we need it for ourselves and then we need to invite children to do what we’re doing. You can’t ask someone to sing a duet with you until you know the tune yourself,” he counseled.

Donald retired in 1992 and settled on his mountainside home in Jackson, New Hampshire. This Chalkboard Champion passed away on September 28, 2010, in Falmouth, Barnstable County, Maine. He was 80 years old.

For his work as an educator, Donald garnered many accolades. The National Council of Teachers of English established the Donald H. Graves Writing Award in his honor. To learn more about this amazing educator, read this interview about him that can be found at this link: Answering Your Questions about Teaching Writing.

Nebraska’s 2018 Teacher of the Year: Sydney Jensen

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Sydney Jensen

Nebraska’s 2018 Teacher of the Year is Sydney Jensen, a 9th grade Language Arts teacher from Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska named Sydney Jensen of Lincoln as their 2018 Teacher of the Year. Sydney has taught 9th grade Language Arts at Lincoln High School since 2014.

Sydney is a native of Eatonton, Georgia. She credits her grandparents, who are both public school teachers, for the inspiration for her decision to become an educator. She also credited her own experience attending public schools. “I’m a product of public education,” she says. “I knew I wanted to be a public school teacher because I had so many great teachers who helped me,” she continues. She inaugurated her teaching career in 2013 as a seventh and eighth grade English teacher at Dawes Middle School. She has taught a total of six years.

In addition to her classroom experience, this inspirational educator is an instructional coach and certified Trainer of Trainers for the Classroom Instruction that Works model. She is also an Instructional Team Leader for the English Professional Learning Community.

For her work in education, Sydney has won several awards. She garnered a Golden Telephone Award from Lincoln High. She also earned the 2018 Lincoln Public Schools Inspire Educator Award.

“My message to all teachers is that we have to teach courageously for the sake of our students,” Sydney declares. “We absolutely must push ourselves to try new strategies, no matter how far outside of our comfort zones. This is the same message we want for our students – live and learn courageously,” she concludes.

Sydney earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Education from the University of Georgia in 2013, and she earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Doane University in Nebraska.