Chalkboard Champions moves to full-fledged website!

Great news for Chalkboard readers! This blog will now appear on a full-fledged website! This website will offer many features in addition to the blog, such as a page sharing best practices, a gallery of champions, a reading list of books worth reading, links to informative teacher websites, a press page with news about Terry's author appearances, more info about Terry's professional experiences, and a contact page.

To access this expanded webpage, simply click on ChalkboardChampions.org. Once there, be sure to subscribe to the blog.

Enjoy!

Best Practices: Positivity Generates Positivity

Every chalkboard champion knows that positivity in the classroom generates positivity in return. Here’s a tangible example of that which I learned one year, quite by accident.

You know how at the beginning of every year we are asked to complete a form that lists our goals for the year? Well, one year I decided that my goal was to make a sincere effort to be better at praising my students. I wanted to create a more positive relationship with my kids and a more congenial classroom environment. In addition, my principal was impressing upon the staff the need to foster better communication with parents. I decided I would combine the two goals, and so, on my form, I wrote that each month I would write six letters to parents praising their child. As a junior high school teacher with six classes of 42 students each, I reasoned that it shouldn’t be difficult to find one kid from each class each month that I could say something good about.

And so for the entire year, at the end of every month, I selected my six students and wrote each one a praise letter on decorative stationery. I read each letter aloud to the student before I put it in the envelope and sealed it, and then I gave it to the kid to take home to their parents. I shared the notes with the students to lower their anxiety level—a letter from the teacher is rarely good news—and to ensure that the note would really get delivered. But I could just as easily have put some postage on the letters and sent them through the U.S. mail.

The response I received from the parents was overwhelming. Many of the parents wrote notes back to me, expressing messages about how much they appreciated receiving praise about their child, how much their child enjoyed my class, or how pleased they were that I was their child’s teacher. Imagine my surprise when I realised that I was receiving praise letters like the ones that I was sending! I saved these notes, partly because they were so uplifting, and partly as proof that I had met the goals I had set for myself for the year. In May, I presented them to my principal at my annual evaluation conference. My principal suggested I photocopy the notes and take them to the District Office to be placed in my personnel file there, so I did.

And here is how those letters further rebounded positivity back to me. A couple of years later I applied for a transfer to a new school that was opening up in my district. I was thrilled when I was selected for the position. Imagine my surprise when, later, my new principal told me that he had read those letters in my personnel file, and it was partly because of them that he decided to hire me!

Try this strategy. It could create a rebound of positivity for you, too!

Darrell Jones: Celebrated Veteran and Chalkboard Champion

On Veterans Day, the entire country pauses to express appreciation to our nation's heroic veterans for all they have done, including laying their lives on the line, to protect our American freedoms. One such veteran is Darrell Jones, a middle school history teacher in Mississippi.

As a younger man, Darrell served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. On active duty from 1991 to 2011, he was deployed over two dozen times, including stints in Iraq. During his years of service, the now-retired Technical Sergeant E-6 worked as a crew chief and as an aircraft mechanic.

Darrell grew up in Buffalo, New York. After he graduated high school in 1988, he enrolled in college, where he completed three years of study. He interrupted his studies to join the military, but once he retired from the Air Force in 2011, he used his GI benefits to complete his degree. He earned his bachelor's in secondary education from Mississippi State University in 2014.

This valiant veteran now serves as a 7th grade history teacher at Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi. "People ask me all the time why I became a teacher after working hard in the military for 20 years," says Darrell. "I say...I want to continue to serve my country and take care of our children." He is as dedicated to his work with students as he was to his work in the military. "My goal is to show my students the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, without taking the joy away from the holiday," asserts Darrell. "I want them to remember we can honor those who have given their lives for our country and appreciate what they have done while also cherishing the fact that we get to spend the day with friends and family."

Here is the American hero and Chalkboard Champion with some of his kids. Thank you for all your service, Darrell!

Frontier teachers contribute to the taming of America's Wild West

America's Wild West was tamed in part due to the talented and dedicated women who served as frontier schoolteachers. The pioneering women who became teachers during this period of our nation's history were indeed a special breed. At the turn of the century, females were expected to be dependent upon their husbands, fathers, or other male relatives. It was extremely unusual, and not at all encouraged, for a woman to support herself and function independently. Nevertheless, many intelligent and self-reliant women in search of personal freedom and adventure joined the Westward movement as schoolmarms.

The stereotype of a frontier schoolteacher was that of an unattractive spinster or a prim and proper young miss. In reality, she was often neither of those. Many of these ladies came from influential and affluent Eastern families. A few were filled with burning ambition, and others were seeking a better life, and perhaps some were seeking a husband of like mind. In general, though, they were dedicated practitioners of their profession. Despite primitive working conditions, uninviting classrooms, low wages, and overwork, these stalwart women introduced literacy, culture, and morality to the roughneck communities they served. A few of these teachers became missionaries, others became suffragettes, and one of them---Jeannette Rankin of Montana---even went on to become the first woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives!

Our society owes these frontier schoolmarms a great debt. Read more about pioneering teachers in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available through amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Click on the link to find out how to get a copy of the book. Enjoy!

Chalkboard Champion Susan Tolman Mills: She founded the first women's college in California

American history offers many examples of extraordinary educators. This blog spotlights just a few of them. Today's focus is on Susan Tolman Mills, a secondary school teacher who established the first women's college in California.

Susan Tolman was born in Enosburg, Vermont, on November 18, 1825. One of eight children, she was the daughter of homesteaders who operated a thriving business. Her father owned a tannery and her mother was a homemaker. Susan's mother was especially insistent that her six daughters become educated, and after the family relocated to Ware, Massachusettes, all the daughters attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Following her graduation, Susan taught classes in science and theology there for three years.

In 1848, the young educator married Cyrus Taggart Mills, a Presbyterian missionary. The adventurous newlyweds traveled to Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. Cyrus became the principal of a seminary for boys, while Susan taught domestic skills to girls in the local schools.

In 1860, the couple moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they took charge of the Punahou School. There Susan taught geography, geology, chemistry, and botany. She introduced physical education to the female students. She also dedicated her energy to improving the food choices and other amenities provided by the school.

In 1864, Susan and Cyrus relocated to California, with ambitions of establishing a school of their own. Their goal was to provide equal education and opportunities for women. The year after their arrival in the state they purchased a girls' seminary in Benicia, just east of Vallejo in Solano County. They named their institution Mills Seminary. The couple spent several years improving their school by expanding the number of course offerings and recruiting qualified teachers. In 1871, they sold this property and moved their school to Oakland, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. This new facility, with four-story buildings, dining halls, and a high central observatory named Mills Hall, was long considered the most beautiful education building in California. Eventually the girls' school established by the Mills was transformed into Mills College, the first women's college in the state. The college still serves young women as a liberal arts college to this day. After Susan's beloved husband passed away, Susan continued to serve as the principal of Mills College, expertly performing her administrative duties.

In 1901, Susan was awarded an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Mount Holyoke, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to education. At the time, the trustees of Punahou commented that Susan, "met and overcame obstacles with equanimity; she accomplished great work with poor facilities; she drew her inspiration from the dull routine of a busy life."

Susan Mills retired in 1909 at the age of 84. She passed away three years later, on December 12, 1912, in her home, the Vermont cape house she and her husband had built on the Mills campus. This talented and industrious educator was interred at Sunnyside Cemetery, located on the college grounds.

Three Questions Students Ask Teachers Every Day

Flossing and the Frustration of Undone Homework

Homework. Hmmm...yeah. The topic is as controversial today as it was when I began my teaching career 36 years ago. Although I am now retired, this exasperating subject surfaced the other day when I was veritably blasted by my periodontist for failure to floss. Let's just say I really got schooled. In a nutshell, he said he was a highly trained professional, and furthermore a very busy man, and if I couldn't be bothered to do my share of the work at home, then I should not come back. Wow. I mean double wow.

So let's be honest. Hasn't every teacher run those same thoughts through their head when confronted by a recalcitrant student who refuses to do their homework? Educators everywhere have wrestled with this problem for decades. Every teacher knows that there are some students who will do all their homework, some students who will do some of it, and some students who will do none of it. And in my experience, unless you're teaching an honors class, the amount of homework that doesn't get done is greater than the amount that does.

So what strategies can the teacher use to increase the amount of homework that gets turned in? We've all experimented. Here are a few I tried. First, I increased the weight of the homework category so a student could not pass my class unless they completed at least a large percentage of it. The result? The students still didn't do their homework, and tons of kids were failing. Then I tried reducing the number of assignments from four nights a week to two nights a week. That helped with their grades, but it did not increase the number of assignments that got turned in. Next, I tried giving assignments that couldn't be quantified, such as, "Your homework tonight is to study for your test tomorrow." And then I just hoped they would do this, although I was pretty sure they wouldn't. Finally, I gave them classwork assignments and told them if they didn't finish in class, they should finish for homework. And then I gave them enough time to finish in class.

I can't say I felt very professionally satisfied with any of these strategies. One thing I can say with certainty, though, is that if I had given voice to my frustration in the same way that my periodontist did, if I had pounded them into the ground for their errors, I could add another failed strategy to my list. Even if my students showed up empty-handed, I was always glad to see them come back to class the next day. Because every day a student shows up is a new opportunity to guide them, to help them be more successful, and to lovingly plant that suggestion one more time that, yes, homework is an important part of continued progress. And seizing these opportunities is never a waste of time or energy, even for a busy, well-trained professional.

I understand full well my periodontist's exasperation. I empathize. I am truly sorry that my failure to floss provoked such an angry outburst from  him, and I forgive him for losing his temper. After all, I'm not a kid. I know the man is right. Since that day I have attempted, in New Year's resolution fashion, to mend the error of my ways. But I also found a new periodontist.

Chalkboard Champions Wade into the Wake of Rising Waters

As empathetic Americans look for ways to help fellow citizens forced to cope with the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Texas teachers are undoubtedly wondering what they can do to help ease the distress of their precious kids when they return to the classroom. 

As usual when I hear news stories about storm damage, I am reminded of a book I read which tells the tale of a remarkable teacher who opened a school for New Orleans evacuees following Hurricane Katrina.

When surging flood waters from Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of families to flee from their homes, New Orleans residents had their minds more on survival than on whether their children would be missing school. But when a group of evacuee parents who landed in New Iberia, Louisiana, realized they would not be returning to their homes any time soon, they knew they had to find a strategy to help their children cope with their enforced and unexpected exile. They pooled their financial resources and hired a fellow refugee, teacher Paul Reynaud, to establish a one-room school for their children in an abandoned office building. The story furnishes valuable lessons for dealing with this latest example of nature's fury.

The book is entitled Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember.The author of this intriguing true story is journalist Michael Tisserand, and the volume was published in 2007 by Harcourt. You can find the book on amazon.com at the following link:

For other intriguing stories about remarkable teachers in America's sometimes turbulent history, check out my book Chalkboard Champions. You will find it on the web site for Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Dr. Kim Lawe: From Her Escape from Communist Viet Nam to Her Work as an Educator

Here is the inspirational story of a very amazing educator, Dr. Kim Lawe. I worked with her at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, CA, before I retired last June. In this brief video she shares a little about her family's escape by boat from Communist Viet Nam following the fall of Saigon, and her work as an educator.

Creating the Best of All Possible First Days

As a new school year approaches, teachers all over the country are considering ways to create the best of all possible first days. Here are a few thoughts.

Think about what you want to accomplish with your kids, right from the start. Certainly classroom management is important, but prevailing educational philosophy suggests classroom management is easiest when students are actively engaged in stimulating and meaningful activity. So avoid reading aloud a list of your classroom rules and expectations or your course syllabus. And for goodness sake, don't plan a lecture. It's a snore for the kids, and your throat will be sore by the end of the day.

To create a memorable first day, plan an activity that introduces your classroom values. Presumably these values would include respect for peers and working well together. Consider ice-breakers that encourage human interaction. Reward them for learning the names of their classmates. As for yourself, strive to learn the names of your students as quickly as possible so that you can greet them by name on their second day. Also, create activities that give kids opportunities to help you and their classmates get to know what is unique about them. Example activities would include a round of Two Truths and a Lie, a Shoe Pile Mingle, or Never Have I Ever.

Another oft-expressed classroom value emphasizes the joy of learning. Many teachers want their class to be an exciting adventure as they and their kids explore learning together. Crafting an activity that is interactive introduces this classroom value right from the beginning. So plan something interactive, such as a trivia game, collaborative drawing, or a scavenger hunt.

Whatever you plan for that first day, just be sure it is stimulating and engaging. The time will be well spent if the effort kicks off the school year with a sense of excitement for your class or subject. And that list of classroom rules an expectations and the course syllabus? Consider emailing these to parents before the school year begins, and have them reply that they have received it, perhaps with a simple phrase such as "I Agree." Or use the communication as an opportunity to invite parents to dialogue with you about their child's individual needs or concerns.

Above all, have a great year!

Terry Lee Marzell, teacher, librarian, and author of Chalkboard Champions, retires

After a 36-year career as an English teacher and District Librarian in the Corona Norco Unified School District, Chalkboard Champions author Terry Lee Marzell retires! After being honored at the monthly meeting of her school’s Leadership Team, she bids a tearful farewell to her colleagues at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

Biology teacher and basketball coach Teverster Anderson: A true Chalkboard Champion

Often talented high school coaches become accomplished college-level coaches. This is certainly the case with Tevester Anderson, who spent two decades as a high school biology teacher and basketball coach and 16 years as an assistant coach at the college level before landing his first position as a Division 1 Head Coach at the age of 61.

Tevester was born February 25, 1937, in Canton, Mississippi. In 1962, he earned his bachelor's degree in pre-medicine from Arkansas AM & N University, now known as Arkansas at Pine Bluff. In 1971, he completed the requirements for his master's degree in biological science from North Carolina AT&T State University.

Tevester decided against a career in medicine and instead accepted a position teaching biology and coaching basketball at Canton High School, where he worked from 1962 to 1971. From 1971 to 1980 he taught at Fulton High School. As a high school coach, he was a pioneer in helping integrate high 
school sports. "I learned you can save just as many lives as a 
coach and a teacher as you can as a doctor," he once said.

Later, Tevester worked as an Assistant Coach at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, as an Associate Coach at the University of Georgia, in Atlanta, Georgia, and, finally, as a Head Coach at both Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, and Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. During his time as Head Coach at Murray State, Tevester led his team to an overall record of 103-52 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. During his ten-year tenure at Jackson, Tevester led the Tigers to an overall record of 149-170.

This chalkboard champion retired in June, 2013. "We sincerely thank Coach Anderson for his contributions to Jackson State University," commented Vivian Fuller, acting Athletic Director for JSU. "He is truly a professional in collegiate athletics."

Michelle Obama recognizes Michigan's Terri Tchorzynski as School Counselor of the Year

In previous posts I have expressed my strong belief that, like classroom teachers, school counselors are chalkboard champions, too. So it truly excites me to discover that our nation's First Lady, Michelle Obama, also values the hard work and commitment these dedicated professionals provide to our young people. In a White House ceremony held Friday, January 6, Mrs. Obama honored fifty of our nation's most talented school counselors, and recognized one of them, Terri Tchorzynski from Battle Creek, Michigan, as the School Counselor of the Year.

Terri works at the Calhoun Area Career Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. A graduate of Central Michigan University and Spring Arbor University, this dedicated educator has been a high school counselor for seven years. Previous to her service in this capacity, Terri served as an English teacher and girls' varsity basketball coach. One of Terri's most impressive achievements as a counselor was the creation of school-wide college-readiness program.

The ceremony to recognize the work of school counselors is part of Mrs. Obama's Reach Higher initiative. The fifty finalists who attended the White House event were selected by the American School Counselor Association. The criteria used to select the honorees include creative school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership skills, and contributions to student achievement.

Well done, Terri, and congratulations to the 49 other honorees! As Mrs. Obama said, "You are Heroes!"

Inspiration for Teachers from "The Leader in Me"