National Teachers Hall of Fame
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NATIONAL TEACHERS HALL OF FAME

2003 INDUCTEES

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ruth gaines

des moines, ia | YEARS TAUGHT: 1971 - Present

Ruth Ann created Sisters For Success, a mentorship program for African American high school girls with the purpose of building self-esteem and foster academic success. She also created the Leadership Council that leads the school and community in solving problems of diversity. Ruth Ann implemented a class in Children’s Theater where each spring her students perform a popular children’s play for surrounding pre-school and elementary school students, and created the extra-curriculum performing group The Voices of Change as a result of racial riots in her school in 1995. The students travel throughout the Midwest improvising scenes about cultural diversity and teen issues. This group has received numerous awards including President Clinton’s 1997 Community Involvement Award and the 1997 Race Equity Award presented by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2002      USA Today All-USA Third Team Teacher Award
  • 2002      Women of Influence in Central Iowa Award, Des Moines Business Records
  • 2002      Graduate of Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute
  • 2002, 00, 90      Who’s Who Among Teachers
  • 2002      I’ll Make Me A World in Iowa – Heritage Legacy Award (first recipient)
  • 2001      Commitment to Diversity Award (Conferred by University of Iowa Ed. Dept.)
  • 2001      Selected to Board of Regents at Loras College, Dubuque, IA
  • 2000      Teacher of the Year Award (Friends of Iowa Civil Rights Commission)
  • 1999      Angel in Adoption Award (US Congressional Committee on adoption)
  • 1998      Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
  • 1998      Iowa Teacher of the Year
  • 1998      Minorities in Teaching Award (University of Northern Iowa)
  • 1998      One of four finalists, The National Teacher of the Year
  • 1997      Graduate of Leadership Iowa
  • 1993      Rotary High School Teacher of the Year (Des Moines Rotary Club)
  • 1987      YWCA Woman of Achievement Award
  • 1979      ​George Washington Carver Award (Simpson College)
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cynthia jones

Murfreesboro, tn | YEARS TAUGHT: 1979 - Present

Cynthia believes that a teacher is like the reflectors in a lighthouse. The light or energy of a child is redirected, refined, and magnified. A teacher’s role is to focus and concentrate each child’s light to reflect it back for self-clarification. In her classroom, the inside world is taken out. Her students collected soap, lotion and shampoo samples fo rChristmas stockings for the elderly. Her class voted to not exchange Christmas gifts; instead they adopted two Salvation Army Angels, and collected eyeglass frames for the needy in Mexico.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2008      Member of Chinese People to People delegation to advise on using technology in the
                   elementary classroom.
  • 2002      Inclusion, The New Parent Handbook, National Education Association
  • 2002      The Apple for the Teacher Award, Tennessee Department of Education
  • 1999, 02      State finalist, Tennessee Teacher of the Year
  • 1998, 01, 02      Who’s Who in Education
  • 1999      Fulbright Scholar to Japan
  • 1995-2001      White House Conference on Education, Albert Gore Family Reunion
  • 1997      Original research presented in Durham, England, and Washington, D.C.
  • 1997      Rutherford County Outstanding Teacher
  • 1996      Rotary Club Outstanding Educator
  • 1995-Present      Principal Designee, Cason Lane Academy
  • 1994      Recipient, Contributions to the Field, Dyslexia Center
  • 1993      J. Champlain Award Outstanding Developmental Reading Teacher, college-level
  • 1992      Rutherford Jaycee’s Distinguished Young teacher
  • 1991      Distinguished Classroom Teacher, TEA
  • 1985      Thinking Skills Curriculum, Murfreesboro City Schools, creator and trainer
  • 1983, 84      Rise and Shine Pre-Kindergarten Screening Program, co-creator and teacher
  • 1979      Clayton County’s Outstanding First Year teacher
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kathleen mcgrath

ocala, fl  | Years Taught: 1980 - Present

Kathleen’s teaching and learning in the classroom is based on five main concepts. Every child in her class TRIES. TRIES stands for Trust, Relationships, Involvement, Expectations, and Success. She creates a learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and strive to do their personal best each day. Her classroom is a safe haven, the place where anything is possible. Learning is a natural thing in her classroom, a challenge the students accept each day.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2002      Governor’s Educational Leadership Summit on Reading
  • 2001      National Board Certification
  • 2001      Florida State University Distinguished Alumni
  • 2001      Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, “Symposium For Early Career Teachers”
  • 1999      Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, “Brain Compatible Learning”
  • 1996      Florida League of Teachers
  • 1996      Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching
  • 1993      Air Force Education Foundation Citation
  • 1992      Golden Apple Academy
  • 1992      Marion County Teacher of the Year
  • 1992      Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, “Hands-On Science Lab”
  • 1989      NASA Education Workshop for Elementary School Teachers (NEWEST)
  • 1988      ​Ocala/Marion County Jaycees Outstanding Young Educator
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larry statler

san jose, ca | Years Taught: 1972 - Present

Larry helped create the Discovery program that is a model of successful collaboration between special and general educators. The program enables students of all ability levels to work in an environment designed to empower every child to achieve his or her maximum potential while fostering self-esteem and an understanding and acceptance of individual differences. He feels his greatest asset as a person and a teacher is that he never gives up on a child. He states, “Somehow, I will light a flame that will inspire a child who is lost and floundering and give him/her a beacon to follow out of the maze of failure in which he/she is engulfed.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2003      Shaklee Teacher Award
  • 2002      California Council Of Exceptional Children’s Exemplary Teacher Award
  • 2002      Time For Kids’ Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2001      USA Today All-USA First Team Teacher Award
  • 2001      Oak Grove School District’s Maximum Use Of Resources Vision Award
  • 1999      National Music Foundation’s Honorable Mention Award
  • 1998      Walt Disney’s American Teacher Award
  • 1997,98      Intel Innovations In Teaching Award
  • 1993      California School Board Foundation’s Golden Bell Award
  • 1982      ​California Council Of Administrators Of Special Education Award
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carol strickland

emporia, ks | Years Taught: 1967 - present

Carol believes that the challenges of teachers today are greater than ever before, but the strength of the teaching profession will prevail. Teachers, do, indeed, affect the future with words and actions. She says that students will not always remember what they were taught, but they will always remember HOW they were taught and how they were treated. She helped implement an Applied Communication class for students with limited English proficiency (LEP) to help them transition from high school into the work world. They focus on career inventories, communication skills, interpersonal skills, writing resumes and letters, and practice interviewing until they feel comfortable.
ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION:
  • 2002      Pre K-12 Educator of the Year (The Emporia Gazette)
  • 2001      U.S. Department of State Secondary School Excellence Award
  • 2000      USA Today All-USA Second Team Teacher Award
  • 2000      Leadership Kansas Class Member
  • 1993,2000      Diamond Award for Forensics Coaching
  • 1999      Kansas Teacher of the Year
  • 1999      U.S. Department of State Teacher Exchange Award
  • 1999      Wal-Mart Teaching Award
  • 1998      Kansas Master Teacher (Emporia State University)
  • 1998      Emporia Master Teacher (Emporia National Education Association)
  • 1997      Golden Apple Award (Emporia Chamber of Commerce)
  • 1997      Outstanding High School Speech Teacher (KS Speech Communication Association)
  • 1989, 95, 97      ​University of Kansas Honors Program Teacher Excellence Award
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  • Home
  • NOMINATE A TEACHER
  • SUPPORT NTHF
  • Fallen Educators Memorial
  • ABOUT US
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