Tag Archives: Science Teachers

Science teacher Soichi Sakamoto coached Olympic swimmers

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Former sixth grade science teacher Soichi Sakamoto from Maui, Hawaii, became a swim coach to Olympic swimmers. Photo credit: Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation

Many fine classroom teachers also earn acclaim as athletic coaches. One of these is Soichi Sakamoto, a science teacher who also became a swim coach to Olympian athletes.

Soichi was born on August 6, 1906. In the late 1930’s, he taught sixth grade science and health at Puunene School on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The school was built in 1922 on ten acres of land donated by the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company.

At first, Soichi didn’t know anything about coaching a swim team, and his team members consisted of the children of poor sugar plantation workers. Nevertheless, the  inventive teacher established the Three-Year Swim Cub in 1937. His goal was to guide his athletes to the Olympics within three years. The indefatigable coach was able to achieve his goal of creating a team that qualified for the US Olympic team; however, the 1940 Summer Games were cancelled because of the outbreak of World War II.

To get his student athletes to their goal, the innovative coach developed a training regimen involving the use of interval training. As a form of resistance training, Soichi used area irrigation ditches to train his athletes to swim against the current. In addition, he used pulleys and weights to build upper body strength in his young swimmers, also an innovation for the times.

Eventually, Soichi became the Swim Coach at the University of Hawaii, where he served from 1946 to 1961. He also served as an Assistant Coach for the US Olympic Swim Team from 1952 to 1956. Over the course of Soichi’s career, many of his athletes competed in the Olympics, where they earned gold, silver, and bronze medals.

For his work as a swim coach, Soichi earned international accolades. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Sports Circle of Honor at the University of Hawaii.

This superlative coach passed away on Sept. 29, 1997. He was 91 years old. To document the story of this Chalkboard Champion, a book detailing his life and career was written by Julia Checkoway. The biography, published in 2015, was entitled The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory. The volume is available on  Amazon.com. You could also read this 2003 article published abut him in the Star Bulletin.

Iowa teacher Dawn Rheingans garners 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year honors

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Teacher Dawn Rheingans of North Scott, Iowa, has garnered 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year honors. Dawn teaches earth science, life science, and physical science at North Scott Middle School. She is one of nine teachers across Iowa being recognized for their impact in the classroom. She was also named as a 2026 Iowa Regional Teacher of the year.

“I am so honored,” Dawn declares. “I look back and I’ve had so many people through my life that have gotten me to this point, supportive parents, I’ve had amazing teachers when I was in school, coaches that believed in me.”

The honored educator reveals that to earn her honor, she was nominated by a co-worker, wrote a couple of essays, and participated in a few interviews.

“It’s just been a really cool experience to reflect back on the past 29 years and how far we’ve come in education,” Dawn says. “All the different students that have crossed my path.”

View the video below to learn more about Dawn.

NY teacher Elsbeth Kroeber actively countered prejudice during “Nazi years”

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Early 20th-century science teacher and administrator Elsbeth Kroeber authored a textbook that actively countered class and race prejudice during the “Nazi years.” Photo Credit: Midwood High School Elsbeth

I always enjoy sharing stories about excellent educators who have earned acclaim for their work in the classroom. One of these is Elise Elsbeth Kroeber, an early 20th-century science teacher who authored a general biology curriculum that during her time was widely-used throughout New York Public Schools.

Elise, who preferred to be called Elsbeth, was born Nov. 28, 1882, in Manhattan, New York. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in 1903 from Columbia University. She also studied at Barnard. After earning her degree, Elsbeth worked for many years as a biology teacher.

While teaching, Elsbeth saw the need to vastly update the curriculum for general biology courses, known as the Kroeber Curriculum. In addition to her work in the classroom, Elsbeth completed a great deal of technical writing and editing. She co-authored the biology textbook Adventures of Living Things, which was widely used in high school biology classes. When it was published in 1938, the textbook was viewed as an innovative approach to biology. The volume was one of the first in a wave of biology textbooks published during the “Nazi years” that actively countered class and race prejudice and sought to dispel a popular and institutional approval for the scientifically erroneous and immoral theory of eugenics.

Before her retirement in 1954, Elsbeth worked as an Assistant Principal at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. In what were supposed to be her Golden Years, she served as a supervisor and board member for eh Schools Volunteer Program of the Pubic Education Association, a program providing tutors for disadvantaged students in New York City. She also developed and supervised professional development inservice for teachers who wished to become department chairs.

In addition to her professional work, this Chalkboard Champion was a member of the American Biological Institute and the National Association of Biology Teachers, that she speaks German conversationally, that she has a secondary specialty in microbiology and immunology, that her salary is between $7,000-$8,000/year and that in addition to teaching, she does technical writing or editing.

Elise Elsbeth Kroeber passed away in Dec. 3, 1969. She was 87 years old. Since her passing, the New York Biology Teachers Association awards a graduating New York City senior with its Elsbeth Kroeber Memorial Award in her honor.

Florida science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence recognized as “exceptional educator”

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Elementary science teacher Jacqueline Lawrence of Orlando, Florida, is one of 22 educators who have been recognized by Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” Photo credit: Orlando Family Magazine

There are many outstanding educators teaching in public classrooms in Florida public schools. One of them is Jacqueline Lawrence, an elementary school science teacher from Orlando. She is one of 22 educators who have been recognized in a 2025 article published in Orlando Family Magazine as an “exceptional educator.” In addition, she was a 2025 finalist for a Teacher of the Year Award in the Orange County Public Schools’ Stellar Awards program.

Jacqueline teaches fifth graders at Rock Lake Elementary School. Her career as an educator spans 12 years. In her classroom, Jacqueline is known for her innovative teaching practices, including using Kagan Mind Mapping strategies, and she has a reputation for designing engaging hands-on labs. And her students have really responded to her efforts. In fact, her instructional strategies are so successful that she has achieved a remarkable 67% pass rate on a state science assessment in a classroom full of students who previously were struggling.

“I learned from a tender age that education is the key,” Jacqueline says. “Once you get education it takes you anywhere. And that’s what I believe in, and I try to install that in my students,” she continues.

In addition to her work as a science teacher, Jacqueline founded the Rock Lake Girls Running Club, a campus debate team, and a dance group. She also launched her school’s first yearbook publication. Additionally, as a mentor and a team leader, Jacqueline actively supports her colleagues, going above and beyond to ensure their success.

To read more about Jacqueline Lawrence and other Florida educators who have received recognition by the Orlando Family Magazine, click on this link to the article Exceptional Educators.

Former science teacher Alberto Carvalho now serves as Supt. of LAUSD

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Former science teacher Alberto Carvalho immigrated to the US with his family in search of a better life. He now serves as the Superintendent of Los Angeles Public Schools. Photo credit: The New York Times

Many excellent classroom teachers go on to positions of leadership and influence in their school districts. Alberto Carvalho is a fine example of this. Alberto inaugurated his career in education as a classroom teacher in Miami, Florida, rising to the position of Superintendent there. Currently, he works as the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in California.

The former classroom teacher immigrated to the United States from Portugal with his family in search of a better life in about 1983. He was 17 years old at the time. At first, the family landed in New York, but later they relocated to Miami. Alberto was the first in his family to graduate from high school. 

Because of his determination and hard work, Alberto was able to put himself through college. He enrolled in courses first at Broward Community College, and later he earned a scholarship to Barry University, where he completed the requirements for his Bachelor’s degree.

Alberto inaugurated his career in education as a science teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School in Miami-Dade County. He taught physics, chemistry, and calculus there. After four years in the classroom, Alberto served the District in several leadership positions, including Assistant Principal and Chief Communications Officer, before his selection as the Superintendent. For 13 years, Alberto served in that role for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

During his tenure as Superintendent, Alberto garnered local, state, national, and international recognition. He was named Florida’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year; the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year; the 2016 winner of the Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education; the 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the Year; the 2019 National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Superintendent of the Year. In addition, he garnered recognition by Scholastic Administrator as one of “The Fantastic Five” educators making a difference in America.

Alberto currently serves on the National Assessment Governing Board, to which he was appointed by the US Secretary of Education. He also serves as a committee member for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and as an Advisory Committee Member to the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance.

On Dec. 14, 2021, this Chalkboard Champion was hired to be the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California. He continues to serve in this role today.