Terry Marzell's book Chalkboard Champions mentioned on Asian American Journal website

I am always gratified when I discover that others are supportive of my efforts to honor remarkable teachers, so I was excited to learn that my first book, Chalkboard Champions, was recently mentioned on the website for Asian American Journal. A chapter of my book explores the life and work of Japanese-America educator Mary Tsukamoto, an elementary school teacher from northern California who was incarcerated in a Japanese-American internment camp during WWII. Her life story highlights a shameful episode in American history, but the good that comes out of her family's misfortune truly inspires the reader.

You can check out the mention on the website at this link: Asian American Journal. Enjoy!

A thought about education from Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. George Fischbeck: Dynamic Science Teacher and Television Weatherman

There are many fine examples of talented educators making a mark in fields outside of education. A notable example of this is George Richard Fischbeck, a former science teacher who became a well-known television weatherman in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and in Los Angeles, California.

George was born on July 22, 1922, in the small town of Wallington, New Jersey, and raised in Farmingdale, New Jersey. The oldest of four children, he was the son of George and Johanna (Mohlenhoff) Fischbeck. His father was a farmer and his mother was a teacher.

Always an avid student of nature, George first became interested in meteorology when he was stationed in Hawaii with the US Army during World War II and the Air National Guard during the Korean War. Once he was discharged, George attended the University of New Mexico, where he earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in education. Then he worked in Albuquerque as a teacher in a career that spanned 23 years.

His daughter, Nancy Fischbeck of Woodland Hills, once described her father as a whirlwind of energy, and he focused it on teaching others about how nature works. "That's what my childhood was, and why it was so exciting," she  said. "We’d do experiments up on the roof, collect meteor fragments on the mesas in New Mexico, or make clouds in a bottle. He was such a great science teacher."

After he retired from teaching, George launched his career as a television personality as the host of a children's science program in Albuquerque. Known popularly throughout his 20 years on TV as "Dr. George," he was well-known for his non-scripted and humorous broadcasts, and for his bow ties, thick-rimmed glasses, and mustache. "That was the classroom. He was the old professor and that was the look,” Nancy remembered. "The old professor with the mustache, glasses, and pointer."

Dr. Fischebeck could see the obvious similarities between his two careers. "I come from a family of teachers, and I’ll tell you one thing about teaching, if you can get a kid's attention you can teach them anything,” he once said during an interview. "You've got to do whatever you can to make sure they're listening to you and not doing anything else. And then you can teach them." It was a strategy that also worked with his television audiences.

For his service to youth, George garnered a Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1979.  He was honored again in 2003 when he was given the Los Angeles Area Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was given an honorary doctorate in humanities from Albuquerque University.

George retired from television in 1997. Once he retired, he became a guest speaker in Los Angeles schools, served as a volunteer with the Los Angeles Zoo, and worked with the Los Angeles Police Department Volunteer Surveillance Team. This amazing educator and television personality passed away from natural causes on March 25, 2015, at the age of 92.

Veteran educator Lisa Lee talks about "Getting at the Heart of Teaching"

Here's an inspirational You Tube video created by educator Lisa Lee, a veteran teacher with over 26 years of experience in the classroom. Her topic is Getting at the Heart of Teaching. I'm sure it will inspire you as you face the students in your own classroom tomorrow morning. Enjoy!

Carol Jago: A Truly Remarkable Educator

Here is a truly remarkable chalkboard champion: Carol Ann Jago.

Carol was born in the Chicago area to Italian parents, John Crosetto and Mary Giacchino. Her father was from Turin and her mother came from Sicily. After her high school graduation, Carol was educated at st. Louis University and the University of California, Sana Barbara, where she earned her bachelor's degree in English in 1973. She earned her master's degree in education from the University of Southern California the following year.  

After her college graduation, Carol worked for 32 years as a junior high school and high school English teacher in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. She has also served as a content advisor for the Advanced Placement Literature test and also on the English Advisory Committee. Formerly, she was the president of the National Council of Teachers of English and an editor for the journal for the California Association of Teachers of English. She has worked as the director of UCLA's California Reading and Literature Project. She's also been engaged as an educational consultant and a motivational speaker, and she has published numerous books. 

Carol Jago is truly an extraordinary educator.

For All Those Chalkboard Champions Out There!

For all those chalkboard champions out there!

George M. Wertz: Teacher, Pennsylvania State Senator, and US Congressman

There are many fine instances where skillful educators who have also made their mark in the political realm. One example of this is George Wertz, an Ohio teacher who also served in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

George was born July 19, 1856, near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Jacob and Mary (Hoffman) Wertz, and was born one of seven children on the family farm homestead. As a youngster, he attended public schools, Ebensburg Academy, and the National Normal School in Lebanon, Ohio. In later years, National Normal School merged with Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. After his graduation from college, George found employment as a teacher, working from 1876 to 1884. He continued his service as an educator working as a school director from 1886 to 1894.

George began his career in politics when he was elected county commissioner, a position he held from 1893 to 1896. He went on to serve as sheriff of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, from 1897 to 1901. In 1909, the former teacher was elected as a Republican to the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he served until 1913. 

Once he left the state senate, George organized and managed the Johnstown Daily Leader, where he worked from 1911 to 1917.

Between 1923 and 1925, George served in the 68th United States House of Representatives representing Pennsylvania. After he left Congress, George worked as a real estate agent.

This talented educator and politician passed away at the age of 72 on November 19, 1928. He is buried in Grand View Cemetery in Johnstown. The family farm where he was born has been named a state forest.