Tag Archives: Secondary Teachers

Michigan’s June Teisan: Inspiring scientific minds for 27 years

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June Teisan

Michigan’s June Teisan: She’s been inspiring scientific minds for 27 years

I always enjoy sharing stories about remarkable teaches. That’s what this blog is all about! Today, I’m sharing the story of June Teisan, a retired junior high school science teacher from Michigan.

June earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1986 and her Master’s degree in Teaching in 1991, both from Wayne State University located in Detroit, Michigan. In addition, June is a National Board Certified teacher.

In a career that spanned 27 years, June worked as a seventh grade science teacher at Harper Woods Secondary School in Harper Woods, Michigan, where she was employed until 2014. Teaching junior high school students is a memory June carries with fondness. “It was fantastic. I loved it,” June remembers. “It is such  an exuberant age. They are self-maintaining because they are not little anymore, but they are not so cool yet that they go off on their own, and the doors are still open for inquiry and for new things,” she says.

After June left the classroom, she accepted a position in the Office of Education at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where she served as an Education Outreach and Program Specialist. June has a reputation for being passionately committed to widening opportunities for under-represented and under-served students in the STEM fields. She is known for being committed to supporting urban and early-career educators with rich, innovative professional development.

Over the course of her career, June has collected many awards. In 2005, she garnered a White House Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. In 2008, she was named the Michigan Teacher of the Year and was named a finalist for National Teacher of the Year. She was also honored as a Smithsonian Teacher ambassador that year. In 2011, June was named a NASA TeacherNaut, and in 2015 she became an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. In 2016, this remarkable teacher was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Stephen Bowen, the teacher who served as a Maine State Representative

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Stephen Bowen

Stephen Bowen, the teacher who served in the Maine State House of Representatives

Many times excellent educators become successful politicians. This is true of Stephen Bowen, a social studies teacher from Maine who also served in his state’s House of Representatives.

Stephen was born in Portland, Maine, on June 6, 1969. Stephen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, in 1991. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, in 1998.

After earning his degrees, Stephen taught middle school and high school social studies for ten years. He inaugurated his career as a teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools, where he taught from 1997 to 2000. He then returned to Maine, where he taught in Camden from 2000 to 2006. During his tenure there, Stephen was elected to the Maine House of Representatives on the Republican ticket. There he represented the communities of Camden and Rockport from 2002 to 2006.

After completing his term of office, Stephen became the director for the Center for Education Excellence at the Maine Heritage Policy Center. In that position, he wrote reports on education policy, school finance, state spending and debt, government transparency, and welfare reform. In 2011, Stephen was appointed Commissioner of Education by Maine Governor Paul LePage. In that position, the former teacher advised the governor on matters related to education, government reform, budget, and marine resources policy. Two years later, Stephen accepted a position with the National Council of chief State School Officers.

Science teacher Bryce Carlson: He rowed solo across the Atlantic

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Bryce Carlson

Bryce Carlson, a high school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who broke a world record when he successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Some of the most amazing feats are accomplished by remarkable teachers. One of these teachers is Bryce Carlson, a high school science teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who was recently featured in the news because he broke the world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. This extraordinary teacher is the first American to row solo and unassisted across the North Atlantic Ocean, and he did it in record time.

Bryce’s journey began in St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada, on June 27. He arrived in St. Mary’s Harbor in the Isles of Scilly on the southwestern tip of England just 38 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes later. The previous record was 53 days, 8 hours, and 26 minutes.

Bryce rowed a distance of about 2,000 nautical miles. This amazing teacher made the trip in a 20-foot, 700-pound boat made of carbon fiber he named Lucille. He packed the boat with navigation and safety equipment, a water maker, bilge pump, stove, mattress and sleeping bag, clothes, toiletries, a medical supplies kit, a few books, and a stereo with his favorite music selections. “If the boat or I get into real trouble, I can signal for help via an emergency beacon or VHF radio on the boat, a personal emergency beacon on my life vest, or by my tracking unit, satellite phone and a satellite Wi-Fi hotspot,” Bryce explained before he started out. These precautions were extremely important. During the journey, Bryce capsized several times and endured high waves, not to mention the remnants of a hurricane!

During his adventure, Bryce worked with a software company based in Cincinnati called Abre Everywhere, which will help him turn his experience and the data from his trip into courses available to other educators.

Bryce’s school is lucky to have him on their staff. He teaches biology, environmental studies, and psychology at the Seven Hills School, a private school located near Cincinnati, Ohio. The Seven Hills School, originally founded in 1906, aspires to foster natural curiosity, active inquiry, and self-discovery. Bryce certainly has modeled those characteristics in spades.

Bryce earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2003 and his Ph.D in Biological Anthropology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2011.

Right on, Bryce!

Cheers and a little dance for high school math teacher Bob Williams of Alaska

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Bob Williams

Cheers and a little dance for high school math teacher Bob Williams of Alaska

High school teacher Bob Williams of Alaska used cheers and little dances to generate enthusiasm for math. His strategies have garnered him an induction into the National Teachers hall of Fame.

Bob was born and raised in Palmer, Alaska. The son of a sawmill operator, Bob graduated from Palmer High School there. He earned his Bachelor’s in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1982. He earned his Master’s in Mathematics Education from Columbia University in 1991. He completed the requirements for his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in 2006. In addition, this talented educator achieved National Board Certification in 2011.

Bob inaugurated his teaching career in 1987 when he accepted a two-year post to Gambia, West Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. When he returned from Gambia, he taught high school math in New York Public Schools, where he worked from 1989 to 1991. Then he returned to Alaska, where he taught for three years at Nome Beltz Jr. and Sr. High School in Nome, Alaska, and seven years at his alma mater, Palmer High School in Palmer, Alaska. From 2004 to 2006 Bob devoted his professional talents to the K-12 Alaska Statewide Mentorship Project, and from 2006 to 20017, he returned once again to Palmer, where he taught math at Colony High School. At present he is the Director of the Division of Educator and School Excellence in the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

In the classroom, Bob is famous for his high-energy teaching style. He loves to lead his students in cheers and dances to reinforce a math concept. This energy generates enthusiasm for learning and motivates students to achieve. “I think some of the biggest and most meaningful breakthroughs I make with students is that I tell them all that I want them all to feel welcomed, valued, safe, and respected when they walk in the class, no matter who they are. And I work for that,” Bob once revealed.

For his work as a professional educator, Bob has earned many accolades. In 2009, he was named the Alaska State Teacher of the Year, and the same year he earned an NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. In 2010, Bob garnered an NEA Foundation Horace Mann Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2017, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the first teacher from his state to be so honored.

“Bob is inspiring to all his students, colleagues, and parents he serves,” colleague Trevor Townsend once remarked, “and he represents all educators through his passionate teaching style, love for teaching, and his high standards of respect he creates in his classroom for all students to be successful. He cares deeply for students and the education process,” Trevor concluded.

Well done, Bob. Well done.

Matinga Ragatz: Globally educated and global educator

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Matinga Ragatz

Matinga Ragatz: Globally educated and global educator

It’s always a pleasure to share stories about exceptional educators. One of these is Matinga Ragatz, a former high school social studies teacher who is globally educated, who has become a global educator.

Even as a youngster, Matinga traveled the world. Born in Spain, she was an elementary student in such places as Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Spain. She earned her high school diploma from Black Forest High School in Kandern, West Germany.

As an adult, Matinga earned her Bachelor’s degree at Messiah College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1988. She completed the requirements for her teaching credential at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan, in 1989. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching at Marygrove College, in Detroit, Michigan, in 2015.

After earning her undergraduate degree, Matinga accepted her first teaching position at Lansing Christian Schools in Lansing, Michigan. She taught social studies and world language there until 1993. That’s when she moved to a position at Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, where she taught until 2011. Matinga spent the next year in Arusha, Tanzania, working as a Curriculum Development Specialist in Flood Garden School. When she returned to the United States, she worked for three years in professional development at the Eaton Regional Education Service Agency. Currently, this chalkboard champion works as an Instructional Innovation Specialist and Learning Coach at Communications by Design. She has led instructional activities in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Lain America, and she has been an innovator in developing online learning spaces. In all, Matinga has spent 22 years as a professional educator.

For her outstanding work in classrooms around the world, Matinga has earned many honors. In 2008, she garnered a Microsoft Partners in Learning Innovative Teacher Award, and in 2010, she was named the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning Outstanding Educator Award. In 2011, she was honored as Michigan’s State Teacher of the Year, and in 2017, she was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She has been honored at the White House by both President Obama and President Trump.

To learn more about this remarkable teacher, her teaching philosophy, and her work, view this three-minute YouTube video below: