Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Teachers who specialized in math.

Teacher, coach, principal, and theater sensation James Ellis

Posted on by

Teacher, coach, principal, and theater sensation James Ellis of Ramona Middle School in La Verne, California.

Throughout our country, there are many dedicated educators who also exhibit talent in arenas outside the classroom. One of these is James Ellis, a junior high school educator who also participates in theatrical productions.

James has been interested in the theater ever since he was a young man. “What got me hooked was getting to put on another persona and living someone’s truth on stage while telling their story,” he asserts. Among his favorite roles are Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, Lord Farquad in Shrek, and Gus Growltiger in Cats. He is currently working on his first Shakespeare production.

James was born to parents who were educators. He is the son of a fourth grade teacher and an economics professor. James was raised in Pawnee, a rural town in central Illinois that boasts a population of 2,300. His hometown was so small, there were no theaters, no stoplights, and no fast food joints. His high school had only 170 students, and his graduating class had only 36 students.

Once James graduated from high school, he enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication. He also honed his skills as a gymnast. Later he earned his Master’s degree at the University of La Verne in southern California.

After graduating from college, James relocated to the city of Covina in southern California, where he accepted a position coaching gymnastics. One of his students was a nationally ranked future Olympian. James also worked as a substitute teacher. In time, he was hired as a part-time teacher at San Dimas High School, where he taught mathematics. He impressed his supervisors so much that they offered him a position as ASB Director. During his eight years there, he added teaching drama and coaching cheerleading to his resume.

In 2006, James moved into administration when he accepted a position as an Assistant Principal of Ramona Middle School in La Verne. Four years later he became the principal of Gladstone Elementary in San Dimas, and in 2017 he returned to Ramona to lead the school as its principal. “You have to have a sense of humor to work at a middle school,” James declares. “We work hard and we laugh a lot. What more can someone ask for in a career?”

You can read more about the amazing James Ellis from this article published by La Verne Online.

Math educator Brian McLaughlin named Tennessee’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Math educator Brian McLaughlin named Tennessee’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

I love to write stories about teachers who have been honored for their hard work in the classroom. Today I get to write about math educator Brian McLaughlin, who has been named the Tennessee’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Brian said he was shocked when the announcement of his selection was made. The Teacher of the Year is usually selected from one of three Grand Division winners. But this year, the Tennessee Department of Education broke their tradition and selected a Teacher of the Year in addition to three Grand Division winners.

Brian’s passion for teaching was ignited at a very young age. When he was only 13, with his math teacher went out on maternity leave. With no substitute available, the student took on the role and taught the class. That experience inspired him to make teaching his life career. After his high school graduation, Brian enrolled at Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. He earned his Master’s in Education from Tusculum University in Greeneville, Tennessee.

In a career that has spanned 11 years, Brian currently teaches Algebra, Honors Algebra, and AP Statistics at West High School in Morristown, Hamblen County, Tennessee. The school is located in a rural area with widespread poverty and homeless, and a large population of English language learners.

Brian’s philosophy of teaching focuses on an abstract perspective. He asserts this fosters creativity in problem-solving. By using this strategy, the innovative educator has earned Tennessee’s highest evaluation scores each year of his career. Most importantly, says Brian, is influencing students by reaching their hearts, and he is driven by a deep desire to ensure that each individual child’s personal needs are met. To this end, he uses a “destiny first” mindset, which he describes as centering curriculum and instruction around students’ career goals and ensuring that what they are doing in the classroom is relevant to achieving those goals.

Brian is also deeply invested in his community. He believes schools must collaborate with local government leaders and businesses to ensure that the world is preparing for his students at the same time his students prepare to impact the world.

To read more about Brian, see this link at CCSSO.

Robert Aley: The rural teacher who became a university president

Posted on by

Robert Judson Aley, the rural schoolteacher who became a university president.

Many talented classroom teachers go on to prominent positions in institutions of higher learning. One of these is Robert Aley, a rural schoolteacher who became the president of two universities.

Robert Judson Aley was born in Coal City, Jefferson Township, Indiana, on May 11, 1863. Young Robert inaugurated his teaching career at the tender age of 14.

After three years of teaching in rural schools, Robert enrolled at Valparaiso University. Valparaiso is a private Lutheran university located in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. There Robert earned his Bachelors degree in 1882. He earned his Masters degree from Indiana University in 1890. He also completed graduate courses at Stanford University. In 1897, he earned his Doctorate in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

After he earned his degrees, Robert accepted a position as a professor of mathematics at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. He worked there from 1888 to 1891. Then Robert served as the fifth president of the University of Maine. His tenure there ran for ten years, from Jan., 1911, to August 1921. A fervent supporter of United States involvement in World War I, Robert ordered mandatory attendance during pro-war events in and near the campus. He spent the next ten years as the president of Butler College in Indiana, from 1921 to 1931.

This amazing educator also became the author of several books. One of these is Contributions to the Geometry of the Triangle and the State Manual and Uniform Course of Study for the Elementary Schools of Indiana. He also published The Story of Indiana and Its People, co-authored with Max Aley.

Sadly, Robert Aley succumbed to pneumonia in 1935. He was 72 years old. To see additional information about Robert, click on this link to the University of Maine.

Lalla M. Odom: Texas teacher and founding member of DKG

Posted on by

Elementary school mathematics teacher Lalla M. Odom. She co-founded DKG, an organization to help women educators improve their professional skills.

Many talented classroom teachers are also devoted to assisting their colleagues in their efforts to become better educators. One of these was Lalla M. Odom, an elementary school  teacher from Texas. She worked to provide professional training and support to fellow women teachers through the organization Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG).

Lalla was born on April 8, 1874, the second oldest in a family of seven children. She was raised in Fayette County, Texas. As a child, Lalla was intelligent and ambitious. After her high school graduation, she attended first Waco Female College and then Baylor University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree when she was only 17 years old. Not content to end her studies there, Lalla enrolled in the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio. After she earned her diploma there, she accepted a position as a music and math teacher at Willie Halsell College in Vineta, Oklahoma. There she met and married Edgar Odom. The couple returned to Texas, where they settled in Austin in 1917.

In Austin, Lalla accepted a position at Metz Elementary School, where it was apparently unknown that she was married. At the end of the school year the School Board threatened to lay her off because of her marital status, but her cause was championed by an open-minded superintendent. After a few weeks, the Board reversed its decision. Lalla became the first married woman to earn a permanent contract in Austin.

When school officials decided to establish the first junior high school in their district, Allen Junior High, Lalla was selected to head the Math Department there. To hone her professional skills, she went back to college, earning both a Bachelor’s and her Master’s degrees at the University of Texas. She took additional graduate courses in education, government, and English.

In 1929, Lalla was one of 12 educators who founded the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society (DKG). Because of a long-standing custom in those days,  women were prohibited from meeting together professionally. Nevertheless, they believed there was a pressing need for an organization in which women educators could assist each other in their efforts to become better teachers. The 12 co-founders extended membership in their newly-formed organization to rural and urban teachers; preschool, elementary, high school, college, and university teachers; librarians; and school administrators. DKG members still work together today to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships to those who need support to improve their professional skills.

In addition to her work in the classroom and with DKG, Lalla was actively  involved in city, state, and national political affairs. She also was active in professional organizations such as the Classroom Teachers Association, the Texas State Teachers Association, and the National Education Association.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on April 14, 1964. She was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.

To learn more about the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, click on this link: DKG.

Robert Moses: Math teacher and 1960’s Civil Rights activist

Posted on by

Math teacher Robert Moses was a legendary figure during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. He was the courageous educator from New York who became an activist during the Civil Rights Movement. He’s best known for organizing the Black voter-registration efforts and the Freedom Schools made famous during the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer. This heroic educator’s revolutionary work, which was not without risk to life and limb, transformed the political power structure of entire communities.

Nearly forty years later, Robert advocated for yet another transformational change: the Algebra Project. Robert asserted that a deficiency in math literacy in poor neighborhoods puts impoverished children at an economic disadvantage.

Radical Equatioins by Robert Parris Moses describes the Civil Rights activist’s work during the 1960’s, and his philosophy about math literacy.

The deficiency makes students unable to compete successfully for jobs in the 21st century. This disenfranchisement, he declared, is as debilitating as lack of personal liberties was prior to the Civil Rights Movement. Robert’s solution was to organize people, community by community, school by school, to overcome the achievement gap. He believed this would give impoverished children the tools they need to claim their share of economic enfranchisement.

Robert described his philosophy in depth in his  book, Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project written with fellow Civil Rights worker Charles E. Cobb, Jr. The volume can be found easily and reasonably-priced on amazon. A fascinating read for anyone who is interested in Moses’s story, either past or present. A chapter about this remarkable teacher is also included in my second book, entitled Chalkboard Heroes: Twelve Courageous Teachers and Their Deeds of Valor.  This book is also available on amazon; click on this link to view: Chalkboard Heroes.