Minnette Ella Gersh Lenier (July 9, 1945 in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

– February 7, 2011 in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

) was a teacher and professional magician who used

stage magic A stage illusion is a large-scale magic trick. As the name implies, stage illusions are distinct from other types of magic in that they are performed a considerable distance away from the audience, usually on a stage, in order to maintain the illu ...

to improve students' reading and learning skills.

Education and career

Minnette Lenier received a Bachelor of Arts in 1967 from San Fernando Valley State College, and was a Graduate Student at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. She received a Master of Arts in 1968 from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

, and a PhD in 1971 from the

, with a thesis entitled ''Theodore Roosevelt's Communication Strategies In The Presidential Campaign Of 1912''. As a reading specialist, Lenier worked with students at Compton Community College and at other Southeast Los Angeles area schools, as well as in the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...

.Sjogren, Robin (June 3, 1976). "Magical Approach to Learning". ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', p. SE1. Lenier was on the faculty of

Los Angeles Pierce College Los Angeles Pierce College, shortened to Pierce College or simply Pierce, is a public community college in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College Distri ...

Magician

Lenier began taking magic lessons in 1966 with the magician Jules Lenier (1929–2007), whom she later married.Tsitrian, John (October 19, 1975). "The Magic Biz Pulling Prosperity Out of a Hat". ''Los Angeles Times'', p. R34. She performed professionally, often at the

Magic Castle The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by ...

, earned over half her living through magic, and had the distinction of being one of the few female performing magicians.

Teaching literacy

Minnette Lenier used stage magic in the classroom to elevate student interest in the subject matter and worked mostly with remedial reading students. Lenier's stage magic, a concrete task, showed students that everyone has perceptual difficulties at times and that misperception can even bring enjoyment. Lenier gave optical illusions to everyone in class to examine, and would then discuss how people are fooled in general, and how the problems students have in reading could be solved. Lenier proved to students that to be fooled is not to be stupid. She allowed students to bring the illusions home so they could try them on other people to demonstrate that everyone is occasionally deceived by their eyes. Lenier noted that this also gives students the opportunity to be successful with others because they have the correct answers to the illusions. Lenier used magic not only with remedial students, but with gifted students as well. These students are often bored in their classes and Lenier discovered that learning magic is a mind-expanding activity for them. Minnette Lenier died suddenly of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

in her home in Woodland Hills, California on February 7, 2011.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenier, Minnette 1945 births 2011 deaths Schoolteachers from California American women educators Entertainers from Los Angeles American magicians University of Southern California alumni California State University, Northridge alumni University of Iowa alumni Los Angeles Pierce College people 21st-century American women