Tag Archives: Secondary Teachers

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

Posted on by
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

Posted on by
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:

 

Accolades to special ed teacher Ashli Skura-Dreher of New York

Posted on by
Ashli Dreher

High school special education teacher Ashli Skura-Dreher of New York

It’s always a pleasure to learn about a colleague who has earned special recognition for his or her work in the classroom. Today, the spotlight falls on Ashli Skura-Dreher, a high school special education teacher from Youngstown, New York.

Ashli earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, in 1995. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education from D’Youville College in Buffalo in 1998. In addition, she completed the requirements for a Certificate of Advanced Study from the State University of New York at Buffalo in Educational Leadership in 2002, and she earned her national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards the same year. In 2017, Ashli was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

Currently Ashli directs the life skills program in the Special Education Department of Youngstown’s Lewiston-Porter High School. She has worked there since 1998. Between 2002 and 2015, she also taught special education and reading at Ulster Community College. Since 2004, Ashli has served as a coordinator for the Education and Learning Trust, which provides professional development courses to teachers across the state. In total, her career as a professional educator has spanned 21 years.

“She handles each individual child with a caring, fair approach by taking time to listen and to be a proactive voice for her students,” declares Andrew Auer, Ashli’s principal at Lewiston-Porter High School. “Her professionalism, effectiveness as a teacher, and her love and concern for students are traits that are certainly worthy of emulating.”

Parent Jennie Welder agrees. “Ashli Dreher has become more than just a great teacher. She’s also a mentor and a great friend,” says Jennie. “She is loved so much by all of her students and their families because of her awesome way of teaching, her caring ways, and her perseverance of never giving up on any child,” Jennie concludes.

Biology teacher Joseph Ruhl: A 2017 National Teachers Hall of Fame inductee

Posted on by
Joseph Ruhl

Biology teacher and 2017 NTHF inductee Joseph Ruhl features individualized instruction, hands-on projects, and technology in his courses.

I truly enjoy sharing stories about hardworking and dedicated educators. Today I’d like to share the story of Joseph Ruhl, a biology and genetics teacher from Lafayette, Indiana, who was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2017.

Joseph attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1977 and his Master’s degree in Biology Education in 1980.

His career in the classroom spanned a total of 38 years in the classroom. During this long career, he has taught at Lanier B High School in Macon, George, at LaCrosse High School in la Crosse, Indiana, at North White high School in Monon, Indiana, and at Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana. “Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world,” declares Joseph. “It’s also one of the most difficult, but teaching is a profession that will being authentic joy and satisfaction.”

Joseph offers a unique teaching style, which features individualized instruction, hands-on projects, technology, and what he calls a “smorgasbord menu” that allows students to make their own choices.

For his outstanding work in the classroom, Joseph has been singled out for many honors. In 1988 he was awarded a Golden Apple Teaching Award by the Lafayette, Indiana Chamber of Commerce. In 1989, he garnered the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. In 2012, he won the Shell National Science Teaching Award, and in 2015, he was given the Robert E. Yager Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2017, he earned the Sagamore of the Wabash Award presented by the Governor Indiana. That same year, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

The TED Talk YouTube video below is almost 18 minutes, but it provides an inspirational speech from this distinguished chalkboard champion. Enjoy!

Former students gather to honor music teacher Robert Moore

Posted on by

Every once in a while I stumble upon a heartwarming story about a teacher that just warms my heart. Here is one about Robert Moore, a retired high school music teacher from Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Robert’s 30 year career as an educator began in 1966 and ended when he retired in 1996. He just celebrated his 80th birthday, so as a special surprise, nearly 300 of his former students decided to pay homage to their former music teacher. In an effort that took nearly a year to organize, they traveled from all over the country and from three foreign countries back to their home town of Ponca City. There they rehearsed and performed a surprise tribute concert for Robert. Some of the selections they performed brought Robert to tears, such as “Kumbaya” and the Christmas song “Still, Still, Still.”

Many of the former students described their teacher as a strict disciplinarian who pushed them to perform beyond what they thought they had in themselves. “He expected the best out of us, and therefore we gave the best that we had,” remembered Katy Cutler-Art, class of 1975. “He would stop you in the hall and ask you to sing a specific note,” recalled Susan Clay Vitkavage, class of 1979. Because of Robert’s expert guidance, the Ponca City Chorale won choir competitions all over the country every year that he served as their director. Many of the former students said they pursued successful careers in music or became educators because of the inspiration they gained from Robert.

Despite his rather tough teaching style, Robert obviously still harbors great affection for his former students. “Thank you so much for this,” he told them at the conclusion of the concert. “You’ll never know what it means to me and to my family. I loved you then, and I love you now.”

View this four-minute YouTube video for more about this amazing chalkboard champion. I just recommend you keep the tissue box handy.