Terrific Women Teachers

1. Terrific Women Teachers By Helen Wolfe By PresenterMedia.com

2. A Little Bit About Myself… Helen Wolfe, author of Terrific Women Teachers • I have thirty years experience teaching. • I have taught boys and girls from kindergarten all the way up to grade 12. • I have taught many subjects, such as history, English, special education and English as a second language (ESL). • I also teach ESL to adults who are new to the language. • Terrific Women Teachers is my first book.

3. Why Write a Book About Teachers? • Teachers play a very important role in our lives, from when we are small children in pre-school until we are young adults in high school, university or college… and even beyond. • They don’t just teach us math and reading; teachers leave a lasting impression on our lives as role models and mentors. • Teachers can change their students’ lives for the better… and sometimes they even change the world! • Students inspire their teachers – stories about terrific teachers are also stories about terrific students.

4. ONÉSIME DORVAL Pioneer Bilingual Teacher Why Is She Terrific? • Despite frail health, travelled across the prairies to teach Métis children in isolated communities. • Earned the love and trust of Métis communities by teaching in a way that respected their language and traditions. • Went above and beyond to help her students – students who lived too far to walk to school each day lived at the school house where Onésime cared for and taught them. • BONUS QUESTION: Who are the Métis?

5. HELEN KELLER & ANNIE SULLIVAN MACY Opening the World’s Eyes Why Are They Terrific? • Annie survived a deadly illness, poverty, the loss of her family and overcame her own near-blindness to become a teacher for the blind and Deaf. • Even after doctors declared deaf, blind and mute Helen Keller a lost cause, Annie refused to give up and succeeded in teaching her how to communicate. • This courageous pair travelled the country to teach others about Helen’s miraculous story and raise money for the education of other blind and deaf individuals.

6. MARIA MONTESSORI Different Children Learn in Different Ways Why Is She Terrific? • Before she became a teacher, Maria was the first woman doctor in Italy – she was given the title “Dotoressa”. • Believed that children learn in many different ways, and that playing and exploring help children to learn. • Her method of teaching has shaped children’s education today – there are hundreds of Montessori schools in Canada and public schools also use her special teaching methods. • BONUS QUESTION: Can you think of something that was hard for you to learn? How did you learn it?

7. RADEN AYU KARTINI Indonesian National Hero Why Is She Terrific? • Even though she was expected to stay at home and learn to be a wife, Kartini fought for her education – she learned Dutch and became an excellent writer. • Believing that all girls deserved an education, she opened a primary school which any girl, rich or poor, could attend. • Her thoughtful, intelligent letters to her pen pals in Europe helped pave the way for women’s education in Indonesia – where they still celebrate her life with a national holiday!

8. FRIEDL DICKER-BRANDEIS Light in the Darkness Why Is She Terrific? • A very talented and successful graphic artist who was imprisoned at Terezin, a concentration camp, by the Nazis during the Holocaust. • Even though it was dangerous, Friedl used her passion and skills in art to help children in the camp cope with their stress and fears – she taught them to how to use art to help themselves feel better. • She and her students used their art to show the horrors of life at Terezin. Though Freidl and many of her students died during the Holocaust, their poems, drawings and paintings survived to tell their story to the world.

10. MARVA COLLINS Every Kid Counts! Why Is She Terrific? • Worked tirelessly as a substitute teacher for 14 years in the Chicago public school system. • After seeing the overcrowding and poor conditions of many schools decided to open her own school, in her home. • Marva believed that every child could – and should – succeed. She made sure every student had special attention and was encouraged to always do their best.

11. CHRISTA McAULIFFE A Fearless Heart – The First Teacher in Space Why Is She Terrific? • As a teacher, Christa was always thinking of new and exciting lessons - she taught her students that ordinary people can change the course of history. • In 1985, was chosen for the “Teacher in Space” program because of her creativity and her commitment to teaching her kids that they could make difference. • Even though Christa never made it into space, her excellence as a teacher inspired a nation and she lives on in the many schools, scholarships and programs that bear her name.

12. DENISE FRUCHTER Walk A Mile In My Shoes! Why Is She Terrific? • Overcame her own disabilities, Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD, to become a teacher and help other children with special needs. • From her own experience, Denise knew how best to understand these special kids. • Started Camp Winston – where disabled kids could meet friends and do fun activities made with their special needs in mind. • Do you know what a neurological disorder is?

13. ERIN GRUWELL Tolerance Is The Key Why Is She Terrific? • Erin saw that violence, neglect and prejudice were a normal part of life for many of her students – she decided that Teaching them tolerance was the answer. • Though they were labeled “unteachable”, Erin found new ways for them to learn – like through journal writing. • Her Freedom Writers program taught students how to understand one another and be confident in themselves. • Bonus Question: Does writing down a problem help you deal with it? Do you keep a journal or diary?

14. MALALAI JOYA The Bravest Woman In Afghanistan Why Is She Terrific? • Despite the danger to her own life, started a secret school for boys and girls – the first in Afghanistan! • At 25, Malalai become the youngest member of the new government – and faced insults and violence every time she spoke for the rights of girls and women in her country. • She wrote a memoir and has travelled the world to raise awareness about the problems in her country.