Ever wonder what strategies Annie Sullivan Macy, often called the Miracle Worker, used to teach Helen Keller? Watch this 5-minute video below for insights from author Terry Marzell.
Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers
Famed actress and former special education teacher Kate Capshaw
Famed actress and former special education teacher Kate Capshaw
Many talented educators have made their mark in fields other than education. This is certainly true of former teacher Kate Capshaw, a Hollywood actress who is best known for her portrayal of Willie Scott in the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She is also married to famed director Steven Spielberg.
Kate was born on November 3, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas, of humble origins. Her mother was a travel agent and beautician, and her father was an airline employee. When Kate was only five years old, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where in 1972 she graduated from Hazelwood Central High School.
After her high school graduation, Kate earned a Bachelor’s degree in History Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education, both from the University of Missouri. She accepted her first teaching position as a special education teacher at Southern Boone County High School in Ashland, Missouri. Later she transferred to Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. During her years as an educator, she married and divorced Robert Capshaw, a school principal. The union produced one daughter.
After some years in the classroom, Kate moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting, landing her first role on the soap opera The Edge of Night. She also starred in Dreamscape in 1984, SpaceCamp in 1996, and How to Make an American Quilt in 1995. During the filming of Indiana Jones, Kate began a relationship with Spielberg, which eventually resulted in her conversion to Judaism and her marriage to Spielberg in 1991. The couple have five children in addition to Kate’s daughter from her first marriage.
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Teacher Erik Bohen elected to the New York State Assembly
Teacher Erik Bohen elected to the New York State Assembly.
Educators, as a group, are among some of the most civic-minded individuals in our communities, so it should come as no surprise that many of them have decided to run for public office today. One of these dedicated educators is Erik T. Bohen, a special education teacher from New York who has already been elected to a seat in his state’s Assembly.
“I am honored to be representing the people of the 142nd District,” declares Eric. “I am committed to reforming New York’s educational system, helping the middle-class by working to lower the tax burden on families, and creating jobs so our children can remain home in Western New York.”
Eric earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Special Education from St. Bonaventure University located in St. Bonaventure, New York, in 2004, and his Master’s degree in Special Education from Canisius College located in Buffalo, New York, in 2007. He earned his teaching credentials at Erie Community College located in Buffalo, New York, in 2014.
In his younger days, Eric worked as a game-day usher for the Buffalo Bills football team, as a groundskeeper for the City of Buffalo Parks Department, and as a camp counselor for both Cradle Beach Camp in Angola, New York, and Blue Mountain Cross County Camp in Poyntelle, Pennsylvania. He also did a six-year stint as the Head Coach for the Cross Country and Track and Field teams of Mt. Mercy Academy, a private school located in Buffalo, New York. For 13 years he worked as a special education teacher in the Buffalo Public School system. Most recently he taught at Lorraine Academy, PS 72.
For his work in the classroom and in the community, Eric has earned many accolades. He garnered the 2017 Tim O’Neil Good Samaritan Award from the Ryan Purcell Foundation; the 2014 Mt. Mercy Academy Spirit Award form Community Service; and other public service citations from such bodies as the US Congress, New York State Assembly, the Erie County Legislature, and the Buffalo Common Council.
To learn more about Erik Bohen, visit his website at Assemblymember Eric T. Bohen.
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Hawaii’s Jonathan Guillentine: Award-winning early learning resource teacher
Hawaii’s Jonathan Guillentine: Award-winning early learning resource teacher
It’s always a joy to learn about fellow educators who have been recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom. One such educator is Jonathan Guillentine, an early learning resource teacher from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jonathan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1977, his Master’s degree in Special Education in 1981, and his Doctorate in Education in 2005, all from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
In 1978, this chalkboard champion began his career as a third grade teacher at Bloomingtron Christian School in 1978, but soon transferred to Kailua High School in the outskirts of Honolulu, where he worked as a Special Education resource teacher, where he worked for twelve years. From Kailua he went to Reverend Benjamin Parker School in Kaneohe, where he worked as both a resource teacher and a pre-school inclusion teacher. In 2014, Jonathan took a position as early learning specialist at the Windward District Office of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and in 2015 he became a mentor teacher for the Executive Office on Early Learning, which administers Hawaii’s public pre-school program. He holds this position today. In all, Jonathan has spent 36 years as a professional educator.
Jonathan’s work has earned him praise from other professional educators. “Jonathan is the quintessential professional,” declares instructional coach Tracey Idica. “There is no one better suited or more effective in reaching little ones’ hearts and minds. His work appears to come naturally from within his soul; however, it is rich with research-based best practices,” she notes. Colleague Alecia Burroughs agrees. “Jonathan is the type of person who inspires others to be the best person and educator possible,” she asserts. “All who meet him gravitate towards him, adults and children alike.”
For his work in the classroom, Jonathan has earned many accolades. In 2007, he was named an Outstanding Early Childhood Practitioner by the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. In 2010, he was honored by the National Science Teachers Association with their Early Science Educator Award. In 2012, he garnered an National Educators Association Foundation’s Horace Mann Award. In 2017, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the first educator from Hawaii to be so honored.
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Singer Conya Doss: This Queen of Indie Soul teaches special needs children
Singer Conya Doss: This Queen of Indie Soul teaches special needs children.
Gifted teachers often find unique ways to connect with their students or convey their curriculum in their classrooms. One teacher who is notable for doing this is Conya Doss, a junior high school teacher from Cleveland, Ohio, who is also well-known as an innovative Indie musician and songstress.
Conya was born on June 13, 1972. As a youngster, she attended the Cleveland School of the Arts. This specialized school offers an interdisciplinary approach to learning and academics which integrates the arts into the curriculum. The institution is recognized for its exceptionally high rate of graduation, and for an unusually large number of graduates going their education in institutions of higher learning. “It’s phenomenal to have a school like that, especially for kids,” Conya once said. “It’s definitely good to have a school where kids can channel their creativity where it needs to be channeled.”
After Conya earned her college degree and teaching credential, she accepted a position as a teacher of children with special needs in the Cleveland Public School system. She started using music in her classroom as a way to connect with her students. “I may have them do what I call a copy tune, where they listen to a song, like, as an example, R. Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly, and then they have to take the title and do creative writing,” she once explained. “It could be a poem or it could be a picture that’s related to that title,” she continued. “I just try to think of innovative ways to keep them motivated. And sometimes I have to stick to traditional teaching, versus progressive,” she concluded.
As a singer, Conya prefers Rhythm and Blues, Funk, and Neo-Soul. In fact, she is known as the Queen of Indie Soul. She inaugurated her career as a professional musician in 2000. Her first album, entitled “A Poem About Ms. Doss,” was released in 2002. The album was inspired by a heartfelt letter she received from one of her young students. Her debut album was quickly followed by two more: “Just Because,” released in 2004, and “Love Rain Down,” released in 2006. Her breakthrough album, entitled “Still,” was released in 2008. In 2010, Conya released her fifth album, “Blu Transition,” which was followed by “A Pocketful of Purpose” in 2012. Conya released her seventh album, “Seven: VII,” in 2015.
Conya’s skills as a singer and musician have earned honors and recognition. In 2007 she was named the Best Female Vocalist at the Ohio Hip Hop Awards, and in 2008 she garnered the Female Vocalist of the Year Award from Soultracks Readers’ Choice.
In addition to teaching and her career in music, Conya is involved in mentoring teenage girls, she tutors, and she is an active philanthropist for breast cancer, AIDS awareness, and mental health issues.
