High School History Teacher, Historian, and Former Mayer Elmer C. "Mike" Alft

There are many examples of talented teachers who win acclaim in professions other than teaching. This is the case with Elmer C. "Mike" Alft, a retired high school history teacher who is also recognized as an American historian and the former mayor of Elgin, Illinois. He is pictured here, on the right, with a relative.

Mike was born in 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College in 1949. Founded in 1846, Grinnell College is a private, co-ed, residential liberal arts and sciences college located in Grinnell, Iowa. In 1950, Mike earned a master's degree from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

Mike's long career as a teacher at Elgin High School spanned four decades. While teaching, he also served as a city councilman, mayor, and secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Gail Borden Public Library District. Mike was first elected to the Elgin City Council in April, 1963. Four years later he was elected the mayor of Elgin. As was the custom at the time, the distinguished educator did not seek re-election when his four-year term expired in 1971. The dedicated educator also taught part-time at Elgin Community College.

Mike is probably best-known as the historian of his home town of Elgin. He has published numerous books on the history of Elgin and the surrounding area, in addition to hundreds of articles for the local newspaper, the Elgin Daily Courier-News. He currently writes a bi-weekly column on Elgin's history.

Want Clues About How Children Succeed? Read this Best-Selling Book by Paul Tough

As professional educators, teachers often seek to understand why some students excel in class while others do not. In his 2012 New York Times bestseller How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, author Paul Tough offers valuable insights for why this may be so.

Tough makes a convincing case that it’s not test scores or IQ that makes the difference for who will succeed in the classroom and who will not. He argues that the qualities that matter most have more to do with character—skills such as curiosity, perseverance, optimism, self-control, and resilience. And these are skills that can be taught.

The volume offers an engaging look at why some students can triumph over their obstacles and others can’t. Tough also provides interesting insights about how to help students who have grown up in poverty. The author’s claims are not just suppositions. He cites several recent studies in brain research, and he combines the findings of these studies with his own first-hand observations on the front lines in school reform. This thought-provoking book makes fascinating reading.

Pro Wrestler and Physical Education Teacher Angelo Poffo

There are many talented educators who have earned accolades in fields other than education. This is the case with Angelo Poffo, a physical education teacher from Chicago, Illinois, who had already established a reputation as a professional wrestler.

Angelo was born April 10, 1925, in Downers Grove, Illinois, the son of Italian immigrants. When he first started school, Angelo spoke no English. "I remember, my first day, it got to be around noon, and I didn't know what was going on, so I went home," he once said. "That didn't go over real well." At school, young Angelo got tough in a hurry, learning to defend himself from kids who picked on him. But his immigrant parents were strict and overprotective. They insisted that he stay at home to study and do chores, and forbade him from working out in the high school gym or playing sports.

After his high school graduation, Angelo enrolled at DePaul University in Chicago. As a young man, he thought that baseball was going to be his ticket to success. He earned a spot on the university baseball team as a catcher. "My catching was good and everything, but my hitting was bad. So I had to give it up," recalled Angelo. At DePaul, Angelo studied physical education and played competitive chess. Before being hit by a baseball and getting plate-shy, he played ball with George Mikan, who would later become the first big NBA star. DePaul is also where Angelo met his wife, Judy Sverdlin. The pair married on June 6, 1949, and had two sons, Randy and Lanny. Both of Angelo's sons also became professional wrestlers.

During World War II, Angelo served his country in the US Navy. The first time he saw the weight room, he remembered, he felt like a kid again. "I thought I was in heaven," he once said. As a 24-year-old pharmacist mate, his unit was stationed at the Naval Destroyer Base in San Diego. Angelo hit the gym for hours on end, sculpting his 6-foot, 200-pound physique. On July 4, 1945, the young sailor set a world record of 6,033 sit-ups in four hours, ten minutes. "Somebody did about 5,000 and his abdominal aorta broke and he died. So I did 6,000 and I was so happy that I was still alive, I did 33 more sit-ups, one for each year of Jesus Christ's life,"Angelo once recalled. He became an instant celebrity on the base, and word soon spread beyond the Navy. Ripley's Believe It Or Not showcased his achievement in their newspaper strip and presented him with a gold belt emblazoned with his record.

After his discharge from the Navy, Angelo launched a 35-year career as a professional wrestler. He was strong and determined, and it turned out he was a natural. First came billings at small events and carnivals. During the 1950's, his fights were televised on the DuMont network, but much of his time was spent on dreary long-distance drives. On one trip, he drove former boxing champ Joe Louis, who had become a wrestling referee, to a match in Minnesota. They stopped at a restaurant, but Louis was refused service because he was black. Angelo brought dinner back to the car so Louis could eat. But as a pro wrestler, Angelo's crowning achievement came December 27, 1958, when he dethroned Wilbur Snyder for the U.S. TV Title in Cincinnati.

When Angelo decided to retire from professional wrestling, he accepted a position as a physical education teacher and wrestling coach in Chicago.  "I was just getting older," he admitted. "I saved all my money and I was happy with the money I got," he recalled. "Then I started teaching school in Chicago, physical education."

In 1995, Angelo Poffo was inducted into the World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame. On March 4, 2010, this dedicated educator, talented athlete, and US veteran passed away at the age of 84.

Farmers Insurance 2015 Rose Parade Float "Thanks a Million Teachers"

Like millions of people around the globe, I enjoy watching the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1 every year. This year I was particularly inspired by one special float in the parade, the Dream Big: World of Possibility, sponsored by Farmers Insurance. The purpose of this float was to honor teachers from all over the country who, on a daily basis, inspire endless dreams and possibilities within their students. Created by Phoenix Decorating, the float won the Tournament Special: Exceptional Merit in Multiple Classifications Award.

Aboard the float were five winners of the Thank a Million Teachers Dream Big Teacher Challenge sponsored by Farmers Insurance. In addition, riding the float was actor Jack Black, accompanied by his longtime mentor and former teacher, Debbie Devine, of the 24th Street Theatre. "My middle school teacher, Debbie Devine, had a profound impact on my life that I could never forget to this day," Black said. "I walked into her classroom and was immediately transported into a world where learning was celebrated and it became clear that the world really was (and still is) my oyster. I am thrilled to be here with Farmers to celebrate Debbie and other teachers who inspire kids, showing them that there really are no limits on the possibilities around us."

In early 2014, Farmers launched the Thank A Million Teachers program, inviting America to say thank you to teachers across the country for their tireless work and dedication in the classroom. In return, Farmers committed up to $1 million in funding for educators in 2014. Black helped Farmers launch the program by nominating his teacher, Debbie Devine, and sharing the profound impact she made on his life. He credits her influence for ultimately shaping who he is today.

"To date we've given hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money to help better classrooms across the country," said Erin Freeman, Chief Communications Officer for Farmers Insurance. "Farmers is a company that believes in smart – but more importantly, we believe that teachers have the power and ability to transform the learning experience by showing their students the world of possibilities that exist around them, and we are thrilled to celebrate teachers for that reason."

For more about this program, click on this link: Thank a Million Teachers.

Educator Marva Collins: Champion of Inner-City Youth

Many talented educators earn distinction as innovators in their field. Such is certainly the case for Marva Nettles Collins, a chalkboard champion in Chicago, Illinois.

Marva Deloise Nettles was born on August 31, 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama. She was raised in Atmore, Alabama, in a time when Jim Crow laws ruled the South. Black people were not permitted to use the public library, and her schools had few books and no indoor plumbing. Nevertheless, her parents helped Marva and her younger sister develop a strong desire for learning, achievement, and independence. "We were expected to be excellent," Marva once recalled. "We didn't have a choice." Because of this drive, Marva earned a bachelor's degree from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia.

When she was a young woman, Marva met a young draftsman named Clarence Collins. The couple married and had three children: Eric, Patrick and Cynthia.

Marva began her career as an educator when she taught for two years in her native Alabama. Then she moved to Chicago where she taught in public schools for fourteen years. In 1975, to help the disadvantaged students in her neighborhood, Marva founded Westside Preparatory School in the second floor of her home located in a Chicago ghetto known as Garfield Park. There she successfully taught a classical education to underprivileged inner-city students, some of whom had been inaccurately labeled learning disabled by public schools.

In her classes, Marva employed the Socratic method, modified for her elementary students. To do this, she selected material with abstract content to develop her students' reasoning abilities, knowing that the material would have different meanings to different students. Her instructional methods were proven to encourage participation, reduce discipline issues, and develop self-discipline. The program avoided worksheets and busy work, and encouraged students to develop critical thinking skills. Marva ran her preparatory school for more than thirty years, until it was closed for lack of funding.

In addition to her classroom successes, Marva has written a number of manuals, books, and motivational tracts describing her history and methods, which were widely publicized in the 1981 biographical TV movie The Marva Collins Story starring Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman. Marva has also earned distinction as a motivational speaker.

For her professional achievements, Marva has earned a number of awards and accolades. In 1981, she received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged. In 2004, she was honored with a National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush. Additionally, she has received honorary doctorates from Amherst, Dartmouth, and Notre Dame.

Secondary School Science and Math Teacher and Educator Astronaut Joe Acaba

Many talented educators earn recognition for achievements outside of the classroom. Such is certainly the case of science and math teacher Joseph Michael Acaba, who is also a hydro-geologist and NASA educator astronaut. This chalkboard champion is the first individual of Puerto Rican descent to become a NASA astronaut.

Joe was born on May 17, 1967, in Inglewood, California, where his parents, Ralph and Elsie Acaba, had moved from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, during the 1960s. When he was an elementary student, Joe excelled in both science and math. He enjoyed reading, particularly science fiction stories. He also appreciated educational movies, and credits his interest in space to a film he watched in his boyhood depicting Neil Armstrong's 1969 landing on the moon. During his senior year in high school, Joe became interested in scuba diving, and later he became a certified scuba diver through a job training program at his school. This experience inspired him to further his academic education in the field of geology. In 1985, Joe graduated with honors from Esperanza High School in Anaheim, California.

Joe earned his bachelor's degree in geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1990, and his master's degree in geology from the University of Arizona in 1992. After his college graduation, Joe enlisted as a reservist in the US Marine Corps, where he served his country for six years. During this time, Joe worked as a hydro-geologist in Los Angeles, where he was involved in the assessment and remediation of groundwater contaminants. He has also worked for the Caribbean Marine Research in the Bahamas and as a shoreline re-vegetation coordinator in Vero Beach, Florida.

Additionally, Joe spent two years in the Peace Corps, where he trained over 300 teachers in modern teaching methodologies in the Dominican Republic. "Once I did that, I knew that education was what I wanted to do," Joe said. To fulfill this dream, after leaving the Peace Corps Joe taught one year of high school science and math at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida, and four years of science and math at Dunnellon Middle School in Dunnellon, Florida. Then, in May 2004, the veteran educator was one of three classroom teachers selected by NASA to be a mission specialist. "The only job that could take me away from teaching is being an astronaut," he explained. "Being an educator astronaut is the best of both worlds."

In February 2006, Joe completed his astronaut candidate training, which included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Upon completion of his training, Joe was assigned to the Hardware Integration Team in the Space Station Branch, working technical issues with European Space Agency hardware.  He was also a member of the Space Shuttle Branch, supporting shuttle launch and landing preparations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Joe's first space mission was aboard STS-119, which flew from March 15 to March 28, 2009. The task for this mission was to deliver the final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. Joe performed two space walks during this mission. His second space mission was Expedition 31/32, which was launched on May 15, 2012, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and returned on September 17, 2012.  As a member of the Expedition 31/32 crews, Joe spent 123 days aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer. The intrepid educator has logged a total of 138 days in space during his two missions.

Joe once said that, as an educator astronaut, he hoped to reach out to minority students. On March 18, 2008, he traveled to Puerto Rico, where he was honored by the island's senate. During his visit, Joe met with school children at the capitol and at Science Park located in Bayamon. Science Park boasts a planetarium and several surplus NASA rockets among its exhibits. Joe made a second trip to Puerto Rico on June 1, 2009. On that trip he spent seven days on the island and came into contact with over 10,000 citizens, most of them school children.

Joe is active in several professional organizations. He is a member of the International Technology Education Association, the Florida Association of Science Teachers, and the Association of Space Explorers. During his career, Joe has earned many honors. He has been given the Ana G. Mendez University System Presidential Medal and a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. In addition, Caras Magazine designated Joe as one of the most influential and exciting Puerto Ricans of 2012.

"As an educator," this chalkboard champion once expounded, "I think the most important thing for me is to fulfill the goal of inspiring the next generation. Motivating kids to learn is as important as the subject matter."

Wow! Time Flies!

I can't believe it has been more than a month since I last posted. I apologize for the absence. I have been working on my credential for Library Media Services, and have, quite simply, been swamped with homework. But it's been fun homework, and I have learned so much. And, I have met a wonderful group of dedicated teachers who are devoting themselves to learning how to move our students into the technology age. More about that later.

Meanwhile, I have received some queries about the new book, Chalkboard Heroes. The new publication date has been pushed to January. Stay turned for more about that, too. Thanks to everyone for their patience, especially my publisher!

Sincerely,

Terry Marzell