As part of the celebration of Black History Month, I share the story remarkable teacher and Chalkboard Champion Willa Brown Chappell. During World War II, this amazing educator was a pioneer in the aviation field, and she even became a teacher of Tuskegee Airmen. Watch the video below to learn more about her.
Educator and historian Carter Godwin Woodson was the founder of Black History Month. Photo Credit: Blackpast.com
This February, teachers all over the nation are sharing Black History Month with their students. The observance is an annual celebration of the many important contributions African Americans have made to American culture and society. But did you know that Black History Month was the brainchild of a brilliant African American teacher?
Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950) is credited with organizing and advocating annual Black History Month celebrations in American schools, starting in 1926. Certainly this is an admirable accomplishment in and of itself, but there is so much more to learn about this outstanding educator.
Carter was born in Virginia, the son of former slaves who became cropsharers following the Civil War. Because of his family’s poverty, Carter was forced at a very young age to work on the family farm rather than attend school. Nevertheless, he taught himself to read using the Bible and local newspapers. He didn’t finish high school until he was 20 years old. As a young man, Carter worked as a coal miner in Fayette County, West Virginia. Later he returned to that community to teach school to the children of Black coal miners, serving as a personal role model for using education as a means to get out of the mines. Carter also travelled to the Philippines where he first taught school, and then became the supervisor of schools. Eventually he became a trainer of teachers there.
This Chalkboard Champion was one of the first to study African American history, to collect data, oral histories, and documents, and to publish his findings in a scholarly magazine he published entitled The Journal of Negro History. For these accomplishments, and many more, Carter Godwin Woodson has been called the “Father of Black History.”
To read more about this fascinating historical figure, check out the chapter I have written about him in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.
Catherine Fiske, an innovative educator from New England, advanced the cause of education for girls during the early 19th century. Photo credit: Public Domain
There are many outstanding educators who advanced the cause of education for girls in the early years of our nation’s history. One of these was Catherine Fiske, an innovative teacher from New England who taught in New Hampshire during the early 19th century.
Catherine was born on July 30, 1784, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Even at a young age, she was a voracious reader. She attended public schools in her home village, until her family relocated to Vermont when she was 12 years old.
Catherine inaugurated her career as a teacher when she was only 15 years old. She taught in public or district schools throughout Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. As a teacher, Catherine was well-liked in her schools for her integrity and dignity, but she was also stern and reserved, and she commanded respect. After demonstrating her exceptional skills with classroom management, she became a permanent teacher in Keene, New Hampshire.
In May, 1814, after a career as a teacher that had already spanned 15 years, Catherine purchased a building on a large farm in Keene, New Hampshire. There she established Miss Catherine Fiske’s Young Ladies Seminary. The school was the first of its kind in the state, and only the second like it in the country.
At her school, Catherine enrolled both day students and boarding scholars. At one time, she even opened a class of boys as day students. One year, between 80 and 100 students were enrolled. It has been estimated that more than 2,500 young people became her students over the 38 years the school was open.
With an enrollment so large, Catherine employed and supervised a staff of highly-qualified teachers to help her with instruction. She also ran the household and managed the farm, overseeing every detail. She did this even though her health was frail, and she was in pain much of the time.
Catherine was well-known for her acute business acumen. She charged $50 per term for each student. For younger students, this fee included instruction in reading, writing, English grammar, arithmetic, history, geography., and needle work. For older students, she included courses in politics, rhetoric, philosophy, theology, chemistry, botany, algebra, geometry, and Latin. For an additional fee, students could receive instruction in music, drawing, and painting.
Catherine Fiske passed away in 1837. She was only 53 years old. Following her death, a monument was erected to her memory in Keene.
Congratulations are due to Sister Zeph, a teacher and community leader in Pakistan. It was announced last month that she has garnered the prestigious Global Teacher Prize for 2023. Sister Zeph was selected from ten very deserving finalists from around the globe.
The award is presented annually to an exceptional educator who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The prize, created in collaboration with UNESCO, comes with a $1 million purse. But the award is not just about the monetary reward; it’s about instilling pride, dignity, and value in a profession that plays a vital role in influencing the future of our societies. The prize champions the crucial significance of educators and their contributions towards a better, more informed, and enlightened world. To learn more, click on this link to Global Teacher Prize.
As the winner of this year’s prize, Sister Zeph is highly qualified. For 26 years she has been educating young people in her community, mostly at her own expense. She became interested in teaching when, as a 13-year-old, she became dismayed that education was not a priority in her community. In response, Sister Zeph founded her own school for underprivileged children in her own home, even though she was so young. According to the Global Teacher Prize website, she worked eight hours a day to earn the money to fund the school, then taught students for another four hours, and then stayed up at night to teach herself. Today, her school provides free education for more than 250 underprivileged children. She also runs self-defense classes for girls and established a vocational center that has helped over 6000 women gain skills in information communication technology, textiles, and the English language.
Sister Zeph’s dedication to education and empowerment has touched countless lives and earned her numerous awards. She is recognized as a true change-maker and advocate for women’s rights and children’s education around the world.
View the short YouTube video above to learn more about Sister Zeph’s inspirational story.
Ohio Reform Farm, also known as Boys Industrial School, established in 1857. (Photo credit: Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff historical Society)
Many times while I am reading biographies about remarkable teachers or conducting other research, I come across a description of a type of school that I am unfamiliar with. I always enjoy learning about various types of schools, and I am eager to share my newly-acquired knowledge with others.