Canon-McMillan School District science teacher Chelsea Geist is sharing her love of animals with students through “Zoo in the Classroom,” an interactive program she created 15 years ago that uses her classroom pets as teaching tools.

“I have bearded dragons, frogs, cockatiels, betta fish, multiple species of turtles, and even creepy crawlers like scorpions and tarantulas,” said Geist. “As much as I want to, I can’t take students to the rainforest or the prairie, but I can use my animals to create hands-on interactions like you would experience at a zoo.”

Geist teaches her high school students how to handle each animal, so they can teach the district’s elementary school students. On “zoo days,” her classroom transforms into an interactive “zoo” equipped with 15 learning stations, each staffed by the high schoolers.

“The elementary students rotate between the stations, and my high schoolers immediately start teaching them about each animal so they can get a quick burst of knowledge at each station,” Geist explained.

Geist’s unconventional, hands-on approach is teaching students of all ages new skills and has even inspired some to explore careers in animal science, zoology, and other related fields.

“There are so many times a student has told me that I inspired them to pursue something in this field,” Geist said. “It’s probably the coolest thing about my job.”

Zoo in the Classroom is the only program of its kind in the United States. Just this year, Geist took steps to have the program federally copyrighted to safeguard it at Canon-McMillan.

“I just really love what I do and what I teach,” Geist added. “This is what I’m meant to do, and this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

In Lindsey Graney’s hearing support teacher classroom at Baldwin High School, you won’t hear a word. Instead, students communicate with their facial expressions and body movements.

“We offer two ASL courses that students can earn world language credit for, and we have an ASL Club that we started a year prior,” Graney said.
The ASL Club meets twice a month to learn sign language and raise awareness about the Deaf community.

“We spend time learning the basic sign language lessons taught in class and practice communicating with each other through ASL,” Graney said. “I try to keep the club as fun as possible, so they are encouraged to further explore the language.”

Last year, Graney began hosting off-site Silent Dinner events where ASL students have an opportunity to engage with the local community.

“The expectation at the dinner is that all voices are off and only ASL can be used. We select a nearby venue, invite the community, and share a meal together. I see such an improvement in students’ ASL skills at the dinner that carry back to the classroom.”

Graney recently received a Developing Future Special Educators Grant from the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) that is helping to fund future Silent Dinners and upgrades to the high school’s ASL classroom.

“Offering ASL has been a fantastic opportunity for students so far. It’s still new. It’s different. But the payout and benefit to all of it has been incredible to watch.”

In 2024, the Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) Youth Art Gallery displayed 40 black-and-white 5-by-7-foot grid portraits of notable Philadelphians drawn by students at Ridley Middle School.

“We celebrate famous Philadelphians and Black History Month in my art classroom,” said art teacher Kevin Scott.

Scott’s group drawing class drew the portraits as part of a collaborative mystery grid portrait project.

“They had no idea who they were drawing,” Scott said. “I told them the categories of the portraits were of people famous to Philadelphia, Black history, or sometimes a cross-over of the two.”

Photographs of the portraits were cut into grid pieces, numbered, and each student drew one or two pieces. When completed, students assembled the pieces one-by-one, revealing portraits of celebrities like Whitney Houston and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and athletes like Kobe Bryant and Patrick Mahomes.

“And I had this collection of my students’ work that I needed to show to the world,” Scott said. “I drive past the airport every day and I thought to myself, ‘I would love to display my students’ artwork there.’”

More than 77,000 people saw the artwork every day in a space PHL designed with pixelated font and painted silhouettes of large heads filled with the names of the portraits on display.

“Synergy is the most important thing to me, and these portraits looked so wonderful together,” Scott said. “It’s a reflection of not only my work as an educator but a reflection of my 6th-graders.”

Will Smith, a former life skills student in the Bangor Area School District, overcame his challenges with the help of a “Grow Your Own” program and found a purpose as a custodian in the school district.

His journey began under the guidance of Nancy Serulneck, a transition coordinator who recognized his potential through his struggles with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

“Nancy came to the custodial staff and asked if we could have him do some work and we said absolutely,” recalls Marc Howshall, a custodian in the district. “He’s the type of person who needs to have everything in order. And he’s come a long way. He’s a great person.”

With the district’s support, Smith overcame the challenges posed by his condition, and in 2018, joined the custodial team. He’s driven by a simple code of conduct that keeps him focused on excelling at his job.

“I love helping others and doing every last extra that I can do to make sure that the school stays perfectly clean,” said Smith. “I want to make sure that everyone is proud of me. I don’t want to fail them.”

When asked what his plans are for the future, Smith is committed to seeing out his tenure with the school district.

Penn Manor students in Tiffany Zook’s family and consumer science class participated in the MRE Challenge, a 60-minute cooking competition that deconstructs pre-packaged MREs and transforms them into nutritious fine dining dishes.

“Teams were tasked with preparing a drink, appetizer, main dish, and dessert,” Zook said.

Local recruiter U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Dustin Jeardoe donated the MREs. He and U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Kaylee Godshall unveiled the MREs and demonstrated how to prepare the freeze-dried food.

On competition day, each team received five MREs and an additional $10 grocery budget for supplemental ingredients. Social studies teacher Matthew Rayha and Staff Sgt. Jeardoe served as judges.

The final dishes included a whoopie pie made with MRE cookies and homemade peanut butter frosting, a beef and goulash MRE with sauce, and drinks made with fresh fruit and MRE powder. But it was one team’s dessert that set them apart.

“The winners combined M&M’s and an MRE chocolate protein powder to make a milkshake,” Zook said. “It was delicious. Everybody was on their feet and were super proud of themselves for the dishes they created.”

The competition gave students a new appreciation of military and culinary science while strengthening their skills in teamwork and food preparation.

“It created a lot of excitement and wonder in the classroom,” Zook said. “I just saw a lot of beaming faces on a lot of my students, and you could see their self-esteem went up a notch.”

Patty Jackson, an English teacher in the Central York School District, is one of 40 published authors featured in the compendium “From a Certain Point of View: 40 Stories Celebrating 40 Years of ‘Return of the Jedi.’”

“The pitch was to watch ‘Return of the Jedi,’ choose a no-name character that had no history, and tell the story from their point of view,” Jackson said. “I decided to do this scout trooper who knocked Luke Skywalker off his bike.”

Noticing the underrepresentation of diversity in the franchise, Jackson made her character a Black man who had to work harder than others.

“I remember someone telling me that I needed to get over myself because there was no Africa in ‘Star Wars,’ so there didn’t need to be Black people,” Jackson said. “Representation matters, and it can have a profound impact on how children perceive themselves and their potential.”

Despite the pushback, Jackson stood her ground, and positive reactions from students reinforced the decision.

“A young man in my class realized the protagonist was Black,” Jackson said. “He came up to me and asked, ‘Miss, is this character really Black?’ When I confirmed he was, the student said, ‘I’m going to hug you.’”

“Most of these places that have these really valuable franchises, they don’t like making noise. I may have killed any chance of ever writing a ‘Star Wars’ story again, but that’s all right. I told what was real.”

Seth Roper, a teacher at Carlisle High School, has facilitated an in-school grief and loss support group for students since 2009.  

“Carlisle SHINES stands for Support, Hope, Included, Non-Judgmental, Encouraging, and Strength,” Roper said.

Alongside his co-facilitator, Lia Fourlas, M.A., M.Ed., Roper guides students through 10 weeks of discussions and exercises designed to help members speak openly about their feelings and learn healthy coping mechanisms.

“Grief can be a very isolating feeling, and it can make people believe they’re alone,” Roper said. “But within our discussions, students realize that it’s not just them. Talking to each other gives them the support to get through it.”

A group community service project ends the 10-week session for students to see their personal growth while giving back.

“Helping others is another way of healing while sharing a message,” Roper said.

A group from 2022 chose to paint a mural on the Carlisle Antique Mall’s exterior. The mural depicts a pair of hands that form a heart surrounded by butterflies, a common symbol of relief and comfort, and the words “You are not alone.”

“We’ve had multiple kids who join but are not able to talk about their loss,” Roper said. “From the start of their journey in Carlisle SHINES to the end, they were able to openly talk about things they never imagined they would before.”

“It takes a lot of courage for them to share their stories, and it’s amazing to see.”

Students at Wallenpaupack High School study aviation careers as part of the Wallenpaupack Aeronautical Science & Aviation program, focusing on four career tracks: professional pilot, air traffic control, aviation management, and aviation maintenance.

The program began thanks to Eric Greenberger’s industry experience and $3. All he needed was the support of his school district.

“I gave a presentation about why and how we were going to do this and the benefits that it would provide for the kids,” he said. “And at the end of the presentation, all the administrators were pretty much blown away.”

A week later, he had a group of students, a school van, and a trailer with a Cessna 150 on it.

Today, 20 percent of students at the high school are already enrolled in the program and Greenberger has a whole community he can lean on for support. The biggest challenge he sees going forward will be meeting demand.

“We’ve got a considerable number of kids who are flying right now. Several are wrapping up their private pilot certificates. We’ve got kids going to Penn College of Technology for aviation maintenance. We have a partnership with JetBlue. We’ve got community involved; we’ve got industry involved. It’s just awesome. And the kids are in love with it.”

Jermaine and ShaWanna Bailey are previous paraprofessionals who were among the first to take advantage of the School District of the City of York’s “Grow Your Own” program to become certified teachers.

The father-daughter duo’s shared love of education helped to boost each other up and take their careers to the next level while helping to combat the teacher shortage.

“The major incentive was to be able to complete my student-teaching with pay, which is a huge incentive, whereas most programs you have to complete student-teaching as unpaid,” Jermaine said.

He sees “Grow Your Own” programs as a natural stepping stone to becoming a teacher because support professionals are already hands-on with the students. They’re actively participating in the process of instruction, while observing the teachers they assist firsthand.

And following in her father’s footsteps, ShaWanna was relieved to have Jermaine by her side as she took this next big step in her career.

“I knew I was doing amazing in the classroom. I worked with teachers who said, ‘You’re doing great with the kids. You build great relationships with the kids. Go ahead and make that leap,’” ShaWanna said.

“We’re trying to lead by example to bring anyone who is willing to tackle this teacher shortage to enhance our students, especially in our community that we grew up in,” Jermaine said.

Andrea Bitner, an English language learner educator (EL) and Title 1 reading specialist in the Interboro School District, has built a strong community of EL students throughout her school, district, and community.

“As an EL teacher, you wear a lot of hats,” Bitner said. “You’re navigating not only students’ academic needs but their social needs, too.”

She started forging relationships at the building level by connecting elementary and middle school students who share a native language. She expanded those connections across the district, so every EL student could receive the same opportunity.

With help from a PSEA Innovative Teaching Grant and fellow EL teachers, Bitner transitioned her learning approach to the community with a pilot field trip where K-5 EL students practiced English. Her plan moving forward is to take groups of K-12 EL students to various local businesses to practice their language skills in a safe space among their peers.

“We are all 100 percent supporting each other, but Andrea goes that extra mile,” said Rosemary Haley, a fifth grade English and language arts teacher.

In 2021, Bitner published a book titled “Take Me Home” which chronicles the EL experience through the eyes of former students. Its success has grown into a raw, honest presentation she shares with educators nationwide on the experiences and challenges EL students face.

“It’s been really well received, and we’re really proud of it,” Bitner said. “And I’m just proud of my students.”

Under the hashtag, #TeachersOfTikTok, are two physical education teachers from Altoona Area Junior High School who share education joy under the TikTok handle @jhelsel.

“We like to highlight things that are positive in education,” said Jill Lane, athletic director and physical education teacher. “We can easily do that together with TikTok.”

Using popular trends and dances suggested by students, the teachers create video content after school. And it didn’t take long for their good attitude to become “TikTok famous.”

“One of our videos hit 1 million views and the account has grown tremendously ever since, partially because of our students,” said Jill Helsel, physical education teacher and owner of @jhelsel. “We never expected it to happen.”

Today @jhelsel sits at 219,000 followers and 11.5 million likes. They’re even influencing at the national level through a sponsorship with NEA to promote good things in education and the benefits of being a union member.

But what makes @jhelsel stand out is the positive impact they continue to make on students and education using social media.

“The feedback we receive reminds us that we help people outside of school by simply making their day with a video,” Helsel said.

“When teachers and support professionals are positive, it translates to students,” Lane said. “And that’s our goal with TikTok; having a good attitude and bringing positive vibes to kids.”

Brandyn Miller, a business and computer science teacher in the Palmerton Area School District, teaches high school students on how to produce newscasts for the morning announcements as part of a Digital Media Productions class.

“Our school underwent remodeling that provided us with a newsroom studio and production room,” Miller said.

Students study the mechanics of the studio by rotating positions that mirror a standard newsroom setting such as an anchor, director, and editor. The class is supported by the Video Club which gathers additional footage of after-school events that is used in daily newscasts.

“They take on the entirety of every newscast,” he said. “From hunting down a newsworthy topic to editing the transition graphics, students own every step of the process.”

The hands-on experience students are receiving is opening doors to what the broadcast journalism field has to offer. Some students have already put their new skills to the test.

“Four of my digital media students participated in a Future Business Leaders of America broadcast journalism competition,” Miller said. “They were able to take the skills they learned from class and compete against their peers.”

“Watching them put stories together from start to finish is amazing,” Miller said. “I’m amazed to see how well they have done and what the class has learned together.”

After years of grievances against the Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) administration, faculty members formed Hawk Faculty United to explore unionization.

Amy Withrow, a full-time English instructor and union organizer, was one of the first to join the faculty-run committee.

“I knew very little about unions and I was very interested in learning more about it,” Withrow said. “A lot of our concerns were not heard. It created a very tense and uncomfortable situation.”

With over 40 years of unsuccessful attempts to unionize, Hawk Faculty United was committed to getting to “union yes” and selected PSEA to guide the organizing campaign.

“PSEA made it clear that this was about us, not about the union itself,” said Lewis Jones, an anthropology professor and union spokesperson. “They would be helping and guiding us, but in the end, it’s our union.”

HACC administration tried to delay the organizing effort by offering faculty raises and a greater voice in governance, while simultaneously working to stall the unionization process on the backend. The union-busting attempts only made Hawk Faculty United more determined to win.

In April of 2022, Hawk Faculty United voted in favor of unionizing. More than 800 HACC faculty joined PSEA.

 “PSEA staff have worked closely and tirelessly with HACC faculty against a union-busting administration,” said PSEA President Rich Askey. “And we look forward to continuing to fight for them in the years to come.”

Kevin Gallagher, a math and computer science teacher, helped Keystone Oaks High School earn national recognition from the College Board for achieving high female representation in computer science in 2021, becoming one of only three Pennsylvania schools to have more than 50 percent female students in these classes.

Two years later, he is one of five educators nationwide to receive a 2023 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence for expanding access to computer science and statistics and boosting AP-level offerings in the school district.

“As our district’s director of the National Math and Science Initiative grant, my goal was to increase our AP numbers,” Gallagher said. “We went from around 60 students taking around 100 exams to nearly 150 students taking 300 exams on an annual basis.”

Gallagher was a disrupter. His work removed barriers that blocked students from taking AP-level courses without prerequisites and opened new opportunities for students to explore statistics and computer science.

“Through several changes to the master schedule and course realignment and additions, doors began to open for students to take fresh AP courses in other subjects,” he said. “Instead of students taking certain AP history classes, maybe now that was replaced with English, math, or science.”

Gallagher continues to be a strong advocate for exploring the world of data collection and analysis.

“Every student and teacher needs exposure to the world of data science, and I hope through my work that I have done my best to make that impact,” Gallagher said.

David Raymond, Mike Graham, and Eric Gimbi, eighth-grade teachers in the Northeastern York School District, began producing a series of elaborate educational videos for their students when they started teaching online because of the pandemic.

It started as a one-man operation filming videos on a cell phone. Now, these three teachers and a videographer take their love of teaching science, history, and social studies across Pennsylvania on a YouTube channel known as Bobblehead George.

“In history class we cover a lot of topics that, right off the bat, the students might not be interested in,” said Gimbi. “But if they watch a video on YouTube of us saying it, it seems to sink in a lot better for them.”

The video series titled “Lessons on the Road” explores American history landmarks, recreates historical recipes, and teaches their curriculum in unique ways.  

“I never in my life thought that I would be walking around in my stocking feet in George Washington’s house at 10 o’clock at night,” said Raymond. “I just never envisioned having the access to the things I have.”

Bobblehead George’s success has opened a new door to reaching students, not just in their own classrooms but around the world.

“This whole process has opened up all kinds of different avenues and connections that we never thought were possible,” Raymond said.

Michelle Eppinger delivered meals to Seneca Valley High School students in 2020 and wanted to continue helping them when they returned to in-person instruction. Her idea was to place donation bins throughout the district’s buildings for students to pick up items they needed, no questions asked.

It worked. Then she decided to take it to the next level, and that’s how the No Cost to Shop store came to be.

“I got the idea about collecting other things kids need,” Eppinger said. “I worked with our assistant principal and administration to start a real store for students to collect items for free.”

Her high school gave her a dedicated space, asked for donations from the community, and got  a $3,000 grant to start the store. Art students painted decorations and a technical education teacher donated a bench.

The No Cost to Shop store opened on Nov. 1, 2021. Vocational-education students run the store and gain retail experience by collecting donated items, stocking shelves, and maintaining the inventory. Students sign up for a private time to shop and choose an administrator or teacher to accompany them.

“One of our school counselors recently visited the store with a student,” Eppinger said. “The student found every item he needed. He even asked if he could take a pair of earrings for his mother as a Christmas gift.”

Eppinger is excited to see how the store has evolved.

“I want to make sure every student is comfortable,” she said. “I’m so proud of the way the store has turned out. We’re going to help a lot of kids for years to come.”