Tag Archives: Social Studies Teachers

Ben Grussendorf: Accomplished Social Studies teacher and politician

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Government and social studies teacher Ben Grussendorf served ten terms in the Alaska State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Anchorage Daily News

Many talented educators also make superb politicians. This is certainly true of Ben Grussendorf, a social studies teacher from Alaska who served in his state’s House of Representatives.

Benjamin Franklin Grussendorf was born on February 23, 1942, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. As a young boy, he enjoyed idyllic summers at the family’s cabin on Pokegama Lake. He often referred to those times as his “Tom and Huck days.”

After his graduation from high school in Grand Rapids, Ben enrolled at the University of Minnesota. There he earned first his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and then his Master’s degree in Political Science Education. In 1966, he moved to Alaska, where he accepted a position as a government and social studies teacher at Sitka High School. He also taught political science at Sitka Community College.

The accomplished educator entered politics in 1971 when he accepted a position on the Sitka Charter Commission. That experience led him to a position on the Assembly for the new municipality. He also served as the Deputy Vice Mayor. He was elected Mayor of Sitka, a position he held from 1975-1979.  During these years, he was also the President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.

In 1981, Ben was elected to the Alaska State House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. Altogether, Ben was elected to serve his constituents for ten terms—that’s 20 years—in the position. During these years, he also served three terms as the Speaker of the House.

In his spare time, Ben was an active member of many organizations. These included the Lions; the Sitka Chamber of Commerce; the Alaska Native Brotherhood; the Elks; the Moose; the Pioneers of Alaska; and the Sons of Norway.

This amazing teacher and politician passed away on June 17, 2011. He was 69 years old. To read more about him, follow this link to the obituary published in the Anchorage News.

Social Studies teacher Greg Kester named Missouri’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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High school Social Studies teacher Greg Kester of Potosi, Missouri, has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Missouri NEA

Many outstanding classroom teachers have garnered recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Greg Kester, a high school Social Studies teacher from Missouri. He has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Greg teaches at Potosi High School located in Potosi, Missouri. There he instructs courses in American History, Western Civilizations, American Political Systems, Psychology, and Sociology. He also serves as the Social Studies Department Chair. In addition, he serves as the faculty sponsor of Future Teachers of America, coaches the Scholar Bowl, and is the cadet teaching coordinator.

In addition to the work at the high school, each semester Greg teaches a college-level course in Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society, as well as an accompanying course in field experience.

Greg’s honor as the 2024 Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Greg has earned. In 2023, the Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars named him the Missouri High School Teacher of the Year. That same year, the Missouri State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution named him Missouri’s Outstanding Teacher of American History. In addition to these awards, Greg is a member of the Missouri National Education Association and past president of the association’s Potosi chapter.

“Relationships are my greatest accomplishments as an educator,” declares Greg. “Students aren’t data points,” he continues. “Standardized test scores are not always reflections of what was taught; they are sometimes the reflection of what a young person had to overcome and still succeed. That is what I have learned in almost three decades of teaching public school in rural Missouri,” he concludes.

Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education at Southeast Missouri State University in 1995. He earned a Master’s degree in history from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001, and he completed graduate courses in school and community counseling at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, from 2010-2013 so he could qualify to teach psychology, sociology, and education classes. His career as an educator spans 28 years.

MN Governor Tim Walz becomes Kamala Harris’s running mate

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Many successful politicians can boast a prior career as outstanding educators and athletic coaches. One of these is current Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former teacher and athletic coach. He has been selected to be the Vice Presidential running mate for Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

Former teacher and athletic coach Tim Walz of Minnesota has been named the running mate of the Democratic candidate for President, Kamala Harris. Photo credit: NBC News

Tim was born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska. His father was a teacher and school superintendent, and his mother was a homemaker. During his childhood, Tim was raised in Valentine, Nebraska, and then the family moved to Butte, Nebraska. Before his graduation from Butte High School in 1982, he was involved in his school’s football, basketball, and track programs.

Tim earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Chadron State University in 1989. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University at Mankato in 2001. His master’s thesis was a treatment of Holocaust education.

Through World Teach, inaugurated his career as an educator when he accepted a one-year position to teach in Guangdong, China. Upon his return, he moved to Alliance, Nebraska, where he worked as a teacher and athletic coach. There he met and married fellow teacher Gwen Whipple. The couple then relocated to the city of Mankato in Minnesota, Gwen’s home state. In Minnesota, Tim became a global studies and geography teacher and an Assistant Football Coach at Mankato West High School. The team had lost 27 games in a row before he joined the coaching staff as a Defensive Co-ordinator. Three years later, in 1999, the team won its first state championship. During these years he also served as the faculty advisor for the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance. In addition, Tim and Gwen organized summer educational trips to China for high school students through Educational Travel Adventures. Read more about his work in public schools through this article published by NPR.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been named the running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Photo credit: Britannica

In addition to his work as an educator and coach, Tim is a US military veteran. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was only 17 years old. While there, he trained in heavy artillery, and worked in disaster response following floods and tornadoes. He was also deployed overseas. Tim retired from the National Guard in 2005, but during the 24 years he served, he was named the Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the year in 1989, and he earned the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals.

In 2006, Tim was elected to the US House of Representatives on the Democratic Farmer Labor Party ticket. He represented Minnesota’s First District from 2007 to 2019. There he worked diligently on issues related to veterans affairs, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and health care. In 2019, Tim was elected the 41st governor of Minnesota, a position which he holds today. As governor, Tim Walz has worked towards police reform, reproductive freedom, workers’ rights, gun control reform, LGBTQ rights, and the legalization of recreational cannabis. In addition, he continues to work on health care reform.

 

Raul Pedraza named 2024 Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Idaho Humanities Council

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Middle school social studies teacher Raul Pedraza has been named the 2024 Middle School Humanities Teacher of the Year by the Idaho Humanities Council. Photo Credit: YouTube

Fortunately for our students, there are many outstanding social studies teachers working in our nation’s schools. Occasionally one of them earns recognition for their outstanding work in the classroom. One of these is Raul Pedraza, a middle school social studies teacher from Caldwell, Idaho. He has been named the 2024 Middle School Humanities Teacher of the Year by the Idaho Humanities Council.

Raul teaches eighth grade Social Studies at Vallivue Middle School in Caldwell, Idaho. In his classroom, he strives to make history relevant to all of his students. But he also works hard to help his Latino students discover their cultural heritage by emphasizing ancient Mesoamerican cultures in his curriculum. For example, he highlights such accomplishments as the Incas’ building of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Mayas’ invention of the number zero.

“We must find ways to relate what we’re teaching to our students’ experiences and interests so as to make what seems like a distant concept that students can connect with and hopefully want to learn more about,” declares Raul.

Raul was born in McAllen, Texas, but he was raised in Wilder, Idaho. He graduated from Wilder High School in 2012 as the class valedictorian. He earned his Bachelor’s degree with a major in History and a minor in education from The College of Idaho in 2016.

The Idaho Humanities Council (IHC) selects three teachers from the state each year to receive their annual Humanities Teacher of the Year award—one at the elementary level, one at the middle grade, and one at the high school level. Each winner is awarded a cash prize of $1,500. To learn more, click on this link to the IHC.

RI educator Crystal Bozigian named 2024 Civics Education Teacher of the Year

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Crystal Bozigian is one of two educators who have been recognized as a 2024 Civic Education Teacher of the Year in Rhode Island. Photo Credit: Crystal Bozigian

Congratulations to Crystal Bozigian. She has been recognized as one of two educators in the state of Rhode Island who have been named a 2024 Civics Education Teacher of the Year. The other is Shannon Gormley, a teacher at Central High School in Providence.

Crystal teaches at North Providence High School, her own alma mater. She has taught at the school for the past 17 years. There she instructs courses in American history, civics, American studies, psychology, and Hollywood history. She also serves as the Chair of the Social Studies Department, a position she has held since 2017.

Crystal plays an instrumental role in civics curriculum development and integration in her school’s educational program. She has organized Student Government Day activities on her campus, and Project Close Up in Washington, DC, where students are given opportunities to voice their opinions, share their ideas, and witness democracy in action.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport, and our students must understand their role to be informed, responsible, and actively engaged citizens,” declares Crystal. “Our students are our future, and I am honored to lead and learn with my students daily in the classroom and throughout the community at large,” she continues.

Crystal earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education at Providence College in 2007. She earned a Master’s degree in American Media and Popular Culture from Arizona State University in 2015. She earned a second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and administration from Providence College in 2022.

The Civics Education Teacher of the Year award honors outstanding teachers who have demonstrated a commitment to and expertise in teaching civics or American government. In selecting the winners, special consideration is given to teachers who employ innovative teaching practices and experiential learning.