Tag Archives: Science Teachers

Educator, astronomer, and US Navy Rear Admiral Simon Newcomb

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Astronomer and US Navy Rear Admiral Simon Newcomb began his career as a rural schoolteacher in Maryland.

Many fine educators have also earned a stellar reputation in professions other than education. One of these is Simon Newcomb, a Maryland school teacher who became a Rear Admiral in the US Navy and an internationally-recognized expert in astronomy.

Simon Newcomb was born on March 12, 1835, in Wallace, Nova Scotia. His father, an American, was an itinerant schoolteacher. Even as a young child, Simon demonstrated an unusual ability for mathematics. When he was just 16, Simon was apprenticed to an herbalist in Salisbury, New Brunswick, but the intelligent teen quickly came to the conclusion that the man was a charlatan. Simon ran away and made his way back to his family, which by then had settled in rural Maryland. The young man inaugurated his career as a teacher there, and at the same time studied mathematics and astronomy in nearby Washington, DC.

In January, 1857, Simon moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he accepted a position with the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. The organization published a handbook for astronomers. While working there, Simon enrolled at he Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard University. He earned his degree in 1858. Three years later, Simon became a commissioned officer in the US Navy. He became a professor of mathematics for the Navy, and was assigned to the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. In this position, Simon’s work was to find and correct errors made in calculating the positions and motions of various celestial bodies. He was also responsible for negotiating a contract to build a new 26-inch telescope at the Naval Observatory. The telescope was completed in 1873.

In 1877, Simon was promoted to the rank of captain. He was also promoted to the position of Senior Mathematics Professor in the Navy and Superintendent of the American Nautical Almanac Office. In this position, the honored educator revised motion theory and position tables for all major celestial bodies in the solar system. This published work, which took 20 years to complete and became the standard reference both at home an abroad, is still in use today. During this period Simon led several field expeditions, including one to the Saskatchewan region in 1860 to observe an eclipse of the sun. He also traveled to Gibralter in 1870 to observe the solar eclipse there, and to the Cape of Good Hope in 1882, where he observed and charted the Venus transit that took place that year.

By 1884, Simon had been named a contributing editor of the American Journal of Mathematics. In addition, he was selected to be a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 1896, he traveled to Paris as the leader of an international astronomy conference. In 1899, Simon founded the American Astronomical Society. He served as the organization’s president for six years.

For his work in the fields of mathematics and astronomy, Simon Newcomb earned many accolades and honorary degrees, both national and international. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He also published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

This exceptional educator and scientist passed away in Washington, DC, on July 11, 1909. He is interred in Arlington Cemetery. To learn more about Simon Newcomb, you can read his biography at this link for the Encyclopedia Britannica.

When remembering veterans, think of Colorado science teacher Daniel Ganoza

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On Memorial Day, we salute Colorado science teacher and US veteran Daniel Ganoza.

There are many excellent examples of Americans who have served in the military, and then have gone on to stellar careers as educations. One of these is Daniel Ganoza. He spent years in the US Air Force before he became a science teacher at Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, a suburb located west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The former soldier teaches courses in environmental science, biology, and global science. He also coaches basketball there.

Daniel says the military mindset is very useful in the classroom. “In the Air Force everyone is valuable to the mission,” he observes. “You have no choice in training them the best you can. The mission depends on it, and your reputation as a leader depends on your folks knowing their job,” he continues. Daniel should know.  As a retired lieutenant colonel, he spent 22 years in the Air Force, with 13 deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Haiti.

The dedicated educator graduated from the Air Force Academy. When he concluded his military service, Daniel found his way into the classroom through a government program entitled Troops to Teachers. The program prepares military veterans for teaching careers.

“Kids just want someone to think they are important and care for them,” asserts Daniel. “Sometimes, all it takes is for just one person to believe in you and you can do anything — you can do the impossible. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been that one person for any of my students, but I strive to be,” he concludes.

For his efforts in the classroom, Daniel earned the 2018 Secondary Excellence in Teaching Award from the Colorado Association of Science Teachers. The award recognizes excellence in teaching in preschool through college classrooms throughout the state.

Thank you for your service in the military, and for your service in the classroom, Daniel!

If you would like to read an interview with Daniel, click on this link from Chalkbeat.

Honoring Henry Alvin Cameron, American WWI Veteran

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During this weekend’s Memorial Day observances, I am reminded that many our our nation’s educators are also veterans. One of my favorite Chalkboard Heroes is Henry Alvin Cameron, a high school science teacher from Nashville, Tennessee. He was not only a leader in the African American community in the early days of the 20th century, but he was also a veteran of World War I. Below is a digital story I created to tell you more about this heroic historical figure.

The amazing Freida Riley, inspiration for Rocket Boys

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Freida Riley, the West Virginia educator who inspired the book Rocket Boys and the movie October Sky.

One of the most amazing teachers I ever read about was a West Virginia educator named Freida Riley. This dedicated teacher is responsible for inspiring young students in a small coal mining town to pursue careers in NASA.

Freida was born in 1937 in Squire, West Virginia, to J.F. and Sallie (Beavers) Riley. As a high school student, she attended Big Creek High School, where she was ranked first in her class. Following her high school graduation, she attended Concord College, and then she completed graduate work at Ohio State University and West Virginia University.

After college, Frieda was hired to teach at her alma mater, Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia. She worked there during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s teaching math, science, chemistry, and physics. As an educator, she was described as  dynamic, but tough. She was widely known for her inspiring work with students, including Homer Hickam, Jr., who achieved his seemingly unattainable goal of working for NASA. After Homer retired, he became a highly acclaimed writer, publishing a 1998 memoir entitled Rocket Boys which soared to the top of the best seller lists. In the book, Homer gave a great deal of credit to Freida for his professional success. Eventually the story became the 1999 feature film October Sky, with actress Laura Dern portraying Freida. The talented educator also appeared in Homer’s two follow-up memoirs, The Coalwood Way published in 2000, and Sky of Stone published in 2002.

In the last days of her life, Freida suffered from Hodgkin’s Disease. Nevertheless, she insisted on continuing with her teaching, even when  it was necessary for her students to carry her to her classroom on a stretcher. She passed away in 1969. She was only 31 years old. She is interred at Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, Virginia.

The Freida J. Riley Award was established in her honor and is awarded annually to an American educator who overcomes adversity or makes an enormous sacrifice to positively impact students. The award is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and administered by the Partnership for America’s Future. Concord College has also established an annual scholarship in Riley’s name.

Science teacher Donna Gradel recognized as Oklahoma’s 2018 Teacher of the Year

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Donna Gradel

Oklahoma’s Donna Gradel, a science teacher and girls’ basketball coach at Broken Arrow High School,  recognized as 2018 Teacher of the Year

Oklahoma’s 2018 Teacher of the Year is Donna Gradel, a high school science teacher and girls’ basketball coach. Donna has taught at Broken Arrow High School in northeastern Oklahoma near Tulsa for 21 years. She taught in West Virginia for seven years before moving to Oklahoma.

Throughout her career, Donna has led her students in projects that explore ways they can help improve their local environment. The students have already helped their city to develop and implement low-cost,solar-powered solutions that improve the city’s water quality. The students have also worked on developing aquaponic systems to help feed people living in poverty in Kenya.

Donna once said that  there are three principals at the core of her practice as an educator. “Number One: All students can learn regardless of their starting point, she declared. “Number Two: All students have a sense of purpose, and they want to make a difference in the world,” she continued. “And Number Three: All students need to know that their teacher has a genuine concern for them and is willing to be their champion,” she concluded.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Donna serves as her school’s Science Department Chair and is an advocate for STEM curriculum and facilities. In 2015, she was one of ten educators throughout the nation to the receive the Henry Ford Innovation Nation Innovative Teacher Award. She was the recipient of the 2017 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators which recognized her innovative approach to environmental education. And as if all this were not enough, Donna has also coached her school’s girls’ basketball team to a state championship.

Donna earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1982 and her Master’s degree in 1983, both from West Virginia University.