Tag Archives: Secondary Teachers

Delphine Ferminear Thomas: Educator and community activist

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Educator Delphine Thomas  was nominated for the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in appreciation for her work in the classroom and her dedication to her community.  Photo Credit: The Wiregrass Farmer

Often dedicated educators work tirelessly to make things better in their community. An excellent example of this is Delphine Thomas, a secondary level teacher who was so beloved in her community that she was nominated for the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.

Delphine Ferminear was born on Oct. 1, 1890, in Bay Minette, Alabama. As a young woman, she graduated in 1910 from Troy State Normal School in Troy, Alabama. Today, the institution is known as Troy University. In addition to this education, Delphine completed extra courses to improve her teaching practice at the University of Alabama in the summer of 1914.

Once she completed her education, Delphine accepted a position as a high school teacher in Pike County, a rural area located in southeast Alabama. In 1913, she was named the principal of a school in the more centrally-located Edgewater, a mining community in Jefferson County near Birmingham.

Throughout her career, Delphine became a vocal advocate to improve benefits for her colleagues. She authored a paper entitled “Homes for Rural Teachers” in 1915. That same year, she was elected the Vice President of the Alabama Educational Association.  To benefit the entire community, she advocated the abolition of poll taxes, and even published papers to advance that cause.

In 1916, Delphine married Albert Thomas, a professor of mechanical engineering at Alabama Polytechnic Institute. The pair were married on the campus of the Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, Tennessee. The union produced two children.

In 1919, Delphine was working as an assistant in the English Department of Auburn University, but by 1930, she had returned to the secondary classroom, teaching junior high school students at the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education in Fairhope, Alabama. The progressive school, founded by educational reformer Marietta Johnson, was profiled and praised by educator John Dewey in his book Schools of Tomorrow, published in 1913. The school emphasized learning in outdoor environments and offered crafts and folk dancing in addition to traditional academic subjects.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Delphine organized both the first Girl Scout troop and the first 4-H Club programs for girls in Auburn. She was also active in local politics, the Auburn Library Board, the Alabama Congress of Parents of Teachers, and the American Red Cross. From 1941 to 1953, Delphine served on the Alabama State Personnel Board.

For all of her work as an educator and as a community activist, Delphine Ferminear Thomas was nominated for the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 1977. Sadly, this remarkable Chalkboard Champion passed away in a Birmingham hospital on July 22, 1963, following a short illness. She was 72 years old.

 

NYC visual arts teacher Cheriece White garners FLAG Award

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Visual arts educator Cheriece White has garnered a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education. Photo Credit: The 74

Our nation’s students are fortunate that there are so many innovative educators teaching in our public schools. One of these is Cheriece White, a forward-thinking visual arts instructor who teaches at Soundview High School in the Bronx, New York City. She has garnered a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education.

Cheriece inaugurated her teaching career in 2013, when she was hired to design a multimedia program for the newly-built Soundview High. Accepting the position meant creating the program from the ground floor up. Today, the curriculum she developed is the most popular program on her campus. In the beginning, Cheriece recalls, “It was a lot of self-teaching because at that point, social media was starting to boom back in 2013,” she says. “It really transformed content creation… and there was no professional development on it,” she remembers.

To meet the challenge, Cheriece designed a curriculum that includes lessons on elements and principles of design, color theory, and color psychology. Her instruction incorporates such topics as digital storytelling, website design, social media content creation, infographic design, logo design, and movie editing. Students are given opportunities to use digital technology to create commercials, develop movies, and plan future businesses. “It’s my personal belief that art is always changing as technology advances,” observes Cheriece. “So it made sense to create a curriculum that not only engaged the students’ current interest in social media and technology, but also educated them on how to design digital content, videography, and infographics for these platforms,” she continues.

Cheriece earned her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts with a double emphasis in Media Communications and Media Design from State University of New York College, Old Westbury, in 2009. She earned her Master’s degree in Art and Art Teacher Education from Long Island University Post in 2012. Prior to her work as a teacher, she worked for one year as a specialist for Apple Inc.

For her innovative work in the classroom, Cheriece earned a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education. The honor recognizes and celebrates extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment.

To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to an article about her published by New York State United Teachers.

Social studies educator Matt Bernstein named Maine’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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Social Studies educator Matt Bernstein of Portland, Maine, has been honored as his state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Matt Bernstein

It is always a pleasure to write about exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Matt Bernstein, a high school Social Studies teacher from Maine who has been named his state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Matt teaches ninth grade Humanities and Social Studies at Casco Bay High School in the Portland Public School District in Portland. He has worked for the past nine years. Previously he taught World History and US History at the Greene School, an English Language Education school in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.

In his classroom, Matt says he strives to cultivate meaningful relationships with students through careful listening and offering support. He strives to created daily opportunities for students to experience joy and belonging at school. Clearly, he succeeds. “Mr. Bernstein’s students and colleagues at Casco Bay High School have described him as energizing, empowering, inclusive, a mentor, supportive, patient, and loving,” reports Pender Markin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. The honored educator also says recognizing the voices of students and supporting student activism is the major thrust of his curriculum. And he asserts that the purpose of education is to help students find their way to contribute to a more fair and equitable world.

In addition to creating curriculum, Matt serves his school as a team leader, a crew team leader, and a professional learning community coach, where he facilitates ongoing professional learning with his colleagues. He is also a Social Studies Vertical Content Team member, collaborating with local experts and teachers across the district to develop instructional content.

In addition to his State Teacher of the Year honors, Matt has been named  the 2022 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year. He was named a 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar, participating in a seminar titled “Teaching the Holocaust through Visual Culture.” And he is continuously innovating. For example, he created We Are an Indigenous Land, a study program where students work to create educational materials for elementary school students about Maine’s Native American tribes and nations.

Matt earned his Bachelor’s degree in History with an emphasis in European History from Bowdoin College, where he was also named a Bowdoin Teacher Scholar.

To read more about Matt Bernstein, click on this link to an article about him published by the Maine Department of Education.

Lisa Leaheey named Rhode Island’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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High school English teacher Lisa Leaheey of Providence, Rhode Island, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit:North Providence School Department

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Lisa Leaheey, a high school teacher from Rhode Island who has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Lisa has been teaching at North Providence High School in Providence for her entire 23-year career. Currently she teaches English to freshman and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition to seniors there. Ever since the beginning of her career, Lisa has dedicated herself to helping students be successful, and she continuously seeks innovative ways to engage her students in class while at the same time challenging their individual strengths and supporting their individual needs.

In addition to her work with students, Lisa created and curated the North Providence School Department’s Technology Integration and Distance Learning Support website. This amazing educator also serves as the Chair of the visiting committee for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). She has also served on the NEASC’s Commission on Public Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools. Lisa is a FUSE Fellow, and in this role she supports districts in preparing for accreditation visits. She has done this work for the past 14 years. And as if all the were not enough, for three years she has served as an instructional coach with Rhode Island’s Highlander Institute, working to incorporate technology into district classrooms.

Lisa learned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education and her Master’s degree in English, both from Rhode Island College. She has also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology Integration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Congratulations, Lisa!

Former teacher, administrator Susan Rainey made significant contributions to her community

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Former teacher and administrator Susan Rainey made significant contributions to the Southern California educational community. Photo Credit: Inland Empire Daily Bulletin

There are many amazing educators who have made significant contributions to their community schools. One of these is Susan Rainey, a distinguished leader throughout the educational community of Southern California.

Susan was born in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 25, 1946. She grew up in Temple City, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. After earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University to Redlands in California’s Inland Empire, she completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Southern California. In addition, in 2004, California Baptist University conferred upon Susan an honorary doctorate.

Susan’s work as an educator led her to schools all over Southern California. Her early teaching assignments were in Redlands Unified Schools and Palo Alto Unified Schools. She also taught at Yucaipa High School in San Bernardino County. And she completed stints as Assistant Principal at Monrovia High School and Principal of Brea Olinda High School. Next, she served as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and then as Deputy Superintendent at Hemet Unified Schools. Susan also spent seven years as the Superintendent of Charter Oak Unified Schools in Covina. The last ten years of her career were spent as Superintendent of Schools in the Riverside Unified School District.

After her retirement, Sue served two terms as an elected trustee at the Riverside County Office of Education, where she filled the position of Chairperson. She also served as the President of United Way of the Inland Valley, the Chairperson of the Riverside Public Library Foundation, and a member of the Riverside Philharmonic.

For her work as an educator, Sue earned many accolades. She was named Superintendent of the Year by Region XII of the Association of California School Administrators. Twice she garnered the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, in 1996 and in 2012. She also earned the Robert F. Alioto Instructional Leadership Award by the California School Leadership Academy. For her support of youth athletic programs, Susan garnered the Chuck Kane Leadership Award and was named a member of the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame.

Sadly, this indefatigable educator passed away on Sept. 25, 2022. She was 75 years old.