T-C-A-P-S! TCAPS are here, so let's do our best!

Brittany, "Coach" Crawford, and Nick

A little pre-TCAP review activity

Some of my favorite "tough" guys and one of my precious girls!

Scary notice in my hotel room in Greenville, SC - GO GIRL POWER!

I've been thinking of writing an update, but when so many things are happening that are blog worthy, I don't even know where to start.  There's no doubt this blog will be rambling and disjointed, but hopefully, will be further evidence of God's work in my life.

TCAP Week is here.  We've completed Day 2  with Days 3 and 4 yet to go.  I'm confident that my students have tried to do well on the test, but I'm realistic in that they simply do not have the background knowledge they need to be successful on the test.  When we started the year, I had one student who scored "proficient" in the third grade.  The rest of them scored "basic" or "below basic." As I prepare to leave SMG to return to WVMS, I can look back and say with certainty that my students DID learn.  They made progress.  The experience was much more difficult than I had anticipated, but I do not regret it, and I'm grateful for it.  I am a stronger teacher today because of the lessons I learned at SMG.  I intend to write a detailed reflection on the lessons I learned in a future blog post.

Since my last post, I visited the Ron Clark Academy with Windy and Suz - WOW! What an amazing place! I need to go back just to process what I saw the first time.  Actually got to spend time with Ron and Kim.  The most impressive part of the experience was the students, which is as it should be!

We completed our OBIYTC experience and have moved back into our Locker Room for the remainder of the year.  Overall, Melody and I both feel that it was a success and the students benefited from the experience.  We celebrated with a pizza party.  The big surprise was a visit from Brittany Baird and Nick Reveiz!  Brittany wrote a special TCAP cheer for us.  1-2...3-4!  T. C. A. P. S. Tcaps are here so let's do our best!  Eagle friends, it's time to soar, This is what we've been working for!  Reading, Writing, Mathematics, too. Yell it with us- Red, and Blue!  Red... and BLUE!   Red... and BLUE!

And Now, The Rest of Story...

It's been quite some time since I last updated my lion chasing journey, so as I resist the temptation to visit the black hole of Facebook, I am going to attempt to focus long enough to hit the highlights of the past few weeks.  Funny how the longer I wait to write, the harder it is to share the moments with detail and focus.

Spring Break, '11 was uneventful with the highlight being our hike to the Chimneys with Jackie and Livy.  The weather's been wild and wooly - Springtime in Tennessee to be sure!  One day in the 60s the next day in the 40s.  Tonight, the last day of March (Lamb?  Lamb?  Where are you?) it's supposed to dip down to freezing!  Brrrrrr!  Winter, must you continue to torment me?!  Get lost!

Our OBIYTC project has been working well!  Melody and I have been working out our minor glitches together and the kids can't help but learn!  I'm actually excited about TCAP testing to see the return our investment. 

I'm loving our small group more and more each week as we tear down walls, remove our masks and get real with each other. 

My "adult" children are a continual source of pride to their daddy and me.  I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to God for pouring out His blessings in my life!  Watching Addie and Sam at their soccer practices tonight filled me with emotion.  Healthy children.  Athletic.  Smart.  Loving.  Funny.  All of them.  Wow.

Yesterday's road trip was the highlight of the month for me.  I had the tremendous opportunity to visit the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, and boy, oh boy, was I blown away!  Most impressive of all were the students.  Never have I seen such poised, confident, articulate, and intelligent 5th graders!  Classy kids to be sure!  The school was bright, warm, intimate, student focused, and stimulating...the math lesson taught by Ron Clark was awe-inspiring!  His "student" teacher was remarkable although she only received a C+ for her efforts.  The slide was quick, slick, and effective...I was blown away!

Pardon my disconnected ramblings today.  I just want to "get it down" before my 40-something mind gives it up to oblivion.  I've read 2 books since Spring Break.  Cutting for Stone by Abraham "Somebody" was fantastic!  The Road by Cormac McCarthy was spooky, disturbing, and thought provoking.  The Watsons Go to Birmingham was a class favorite to be sure!  Bud, Not Buddy is also proving to be an attention-getter.

Reach Them has our date set - November 1, 2011 or 11-1-11 (LOVE this!), and our speaker is confirmed as well - Manuel Scott!  I can't wait to meet him!  I've spoken with his wife, Alice and she is impressive and delightful!  Looking for and praying for a sponsor for our food.  It won't be Chick-fil-A as I had hoped, but that just means we're in for an unexpected surprise!  

I'll make an effort to blog better in the days ahead.

O.B.I.Y.T.C. - Our Best Is Yet To Come!- The Plan

O.B.I.Y.T.C.
Our Best Is Yet To Come!
2011 Strategic Plan for 4th Grade Student Achievement

The Problem
Our school did not make AYP on the 2010 TCAP.  Our students must improve their performance on the 2011 TCAP in order to make “Safe Harbor” next year. 

The Proposal
Crawford and Smith would like to propose a team-teaching strategy that sets high academic goals, provides immediate feedback, involves parents, school support staff, and the community in order to ensure our students’ success.

The Plan
Given a timeframe of  24 “instructional days,” we will implement a no-holds-barred intervention that will specifically target deficient skills as determined by Think Link test data in order to provide remediation, instruction, and enrichment opportunities for each student based on his/her instructional needs.  Parent meetings will be held four times during this intervention for the purpose of informing parents of the strategic plan and enlist their support and commitment to help at home.

The Process
Beginning on Tuesday, March 1 and continuing through Friday, April 8, Smith and Crawford’s classes will meet together in one classroom with the option of pulling out students for small group instruction.  We will commit to planning together and modifying
plans according to student needs as necessary.  Plans, goals, and strategies will be shared with grade level colleagues, Literacy Coaches, and administrators as well as parents.  Content will also be shared on our school website.

The Proof (Assessment)
Feedback on student progress toward goals is essential for this intervention’s success.  For this reason, we have planned the use of formative as well as summative assessments in a variety of formats.  Our primary formative assessment data is the Think Link Test C.  The results from this test have been used to diagnose areas of weakness for students in general and individually.  Additionally, we will provide formal and informal assessments in class.  Teacher observation, anecdotal notes, student journals, tickets out the door, class participation, homework, quizzes, in-class assignments, and formal tests will provide daily and weekly feedback to all stakeholders. 
Students will be assessed DAILY and will be provided with immediate feedback.  Daily assessments may include Tickets of the door, in-class assignments, games and contests, teacher notes, quizzes and in-class questioning and note taking.

Students will be given a WEEKLY Think Link probe that specifically targets his/her areas of weakness.  Results will be shared with the students in a Student-Teacher conference.  If necessary, goals will be modified and progress toward goals will be documented. 

Midway through the program, students will be given a summative assessment of his/her progress toward goals.  This assessment will not be taken on the computer but rather on paper in a format similar to the TCAP.

At the conclusion of the intervention, all students will be given a summative probe that addresses areas of weakness as well as other skills deemed essential for success on the TCAP.

Additionally, students will be provided with purposeful homework 3-5 times per week.  The goal of homework assignments being to provide additional practice working on a skill prior to being formally assessed.  Homework will be graded and returned to the student for corrections as needed.

Enrichment opportunities will be incorporated through technology via skill-focused websites, modified assignments, research opportunities, listening stations, and through the use of apps via iTouch and smart phone technology.

The Payoff (Rewards, Incentives, etc.)
Highly engaging lessons and presentations will serve to keep the students fully engaged in the content.  Special time with “team” groups will be used such as breakfast clubs, lunch bunch, and after-school book clubs.  Students will be provided with incentives such as stickers, awards, peer recognition, teacher recognition, bonus points, special privileges, phone calls and notes home, extra recess time, etc.

Of course, the biggest payoff will come in the form of student achievement as measured by the TCAP, but the gratification for that accomplishment will be delayed.

The Parents (Family Engagement Plan)
Because the success of our students is contingent upon the support of their families, we intend to bring the parents on board by providing four opportunities for them to learn ideas, strategies, and resources that may be used at home to support their student.

We will also post resources on our website and send home printed newsletters with additional ideas.  Students will be rewarded with special prizes for involving their parents in their progress toward meeting their goals.  Parents will also be rewarded with small door prizes and refreshments for their attendance.

The People (Community Engagement Plan)
Community resources will be implemented in this intervention as well.  Education students from the University of Tennessee will be used as small group leaders and tutors.  Community leaders will be brought in to share the importance of academic success.  Parents, family members and other adults will serve as support staff in working with students and preparing materials for use in class.  Administrators and other SMG teachers are also welcome to lend a hand in our efforts to make huge strides toward academic success.

The Pupils (Student Expectations)
Participation in this special project is a privilege.  Student participation is not mandatory,  Disrespectful, threatening, or violent behavior will not be tolerated.  Should a student act in such as way as to prevent other students from learning, he/she will be placed on probation.  Additional offenses will result in the use of Teacher Exchange, PAC, office referral, detention, and the offending student’s parents will be notified.

Students are expected to come to school prepared to learn.  Mentally, students understand that for 24 days their focus must be on the challenge ahead of them.  They are expected to come to school ready to fully participate in class.  Physically, students need to be rested and fed prior to coming to school.  If a student has not had breakfast, a light breakfast will be provided for him.

Students are expected to be prepared with a sharpened pencil and wide-ruled notebook paper.  All other supplies will be provided.

The Purpose
The purpose of this intervention is to ensure student success on the TCAP and to bring our school off the targeted list for AYP.  Ultimately, our goal is to increase student confidence, ability, and academic achievement, as well as inspire an unquenchable thirst for learning that will last far beyond the test.

The Paperwork
See Attachments for Calendar, student goals, targeted skills, and list of “bubble” students

The Pictures
We will document our journey through a student created “playbook” complete with pictures and journal entries

The Potential (Goals)
Our goals is to bring a minimum of 10 students from Basic to Proficient as determined by a summative think link probe and ultimately by the 2011 TCAP test.

O.B.I.Y.T.C. - Our Best Is Yet To Come!

...Let's hope so anyway.  My BFF SMG Teacher and I have come up with a radical, outside the box idea for increasing student achievement at our school.  Given that our school scored straight F's on the State Report Card, we've got nowhere to go but up, right?

O.B.I.Y.T.C. is the name of our intervention plan and it basically consists of targeting specific skills and matching them with student deficiencies in the hope of making a positive impact on their achievement.  Call it what you will, it's really all about the test, although my prayer is that we'll be sensitive to the plethora of other needs (and often MORE important needs) in the lives of our students.

If today is any indication, I think it will help both of us be more aware of students who are struggling.  With one teacher teaching  while the other monitors, we have noticed student behaviors and indicators that have enabled us to address issues more efficiently.

Here's how our "big idea" got started...First, we drafted a strategic plan of action.  (I'll post it for any school nerds who may be interested the "gory" details).  Then we sought approval from the administrators by first garnering the support and endorsement of our Curriculum Facilitator.  With her thumbs-up, it was an easy sell. 

Our namesake, Sarah Moore Greene, celebrates her 101st birthday!

She's still got connections with the movers and shakers in TN education!

This is a picture of the weather on our "moving day!"

We were told to evacuate our Locker Room immediately!

This is the pathway into the building.

Here's where we like to fish after school...

Todd Howell is telling us that this would not be a good day to move 14 student desks into the building from the portable, but we did it anyway.

We had our ups and downs with the desks, but Mr. P. helped us out.

All moved in and Day 1 is underway!

Admittedly, both of us were nervous going into this. There were a lot of "what ifs" in the back of my mind, not the least of which was what if this alienates my partner from our grade level.  She's put a lot on the line for me and I don't want to leave her vulnerable to being hurt.

Our sweet, godly assistant, Ms. Sutton, shared her son's morning devotion with me.  "Cast they burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.  He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  Psalm 55:22  Each of us carried burdens.  God says to cast these burdens on Him so He can carry them for us.  In so doing, we avoid their adverse effects on us.  Ms. Solomon told me that she prayed for every negative remark to be cast down and stomped on under our feet and sent back down to hell where it came from!  What better source of encouragement can I get?!  These ladies ROCK my world!


Day 1 went relatively smoothly in spite of a mid-morning "Opera" assembly.  We had our usual interruptions...pull-outs, phone calls, early dismissals, and volunteers coming by to lend a hand.  Miss J, Megan, and Logan came to help and the kids.  We opted to revamp our Grade Level Interventions and go to one day per week.

My frustrations are minor.  I don't know where stuff is.  I feel like a guest in someone else's house although my BFF has done everything possible to make me feel welcome and comfortable.  It's just a matter of time before I catch on.  Our kids seem to be adjusting well.  We had no fights or major disruptions.  Just a little whining and negative attitudes.  Nothing major.  


As for our ambitious plans to hit SPIs in large group and drill him down in small groups? Well, we managed to hit context clues pretty well, but we didn't even TOUCH main idea.  We introduced Attributes in Math, and got in a little writing by having the kids assess the day from their perspective in their journals.  We'll see if we can make tomorrow even better than today!

Seeking to Understand...and I Admittedly Don't!

At the risk of being misunderstood, I want to take some time to discuss the "undiscussable."  I just read an article found here:  http://m.knoxnews.com/news/2011/feb/13/social-cannibalism-tearing-at-east-knoxville/ written by a brave, black author who had the courage to speak of his experience.

I'd like to state right up front that I am no expert on the African-American experience, urban schools, or how to address the problem of low achieving students and high needs schools.  There, that's my disclaimer.  I'm simply going to share my experience, observation, and ideas.  Boy, I haven't written anything yet, and I'm terrified of speaking freely.  The last thing in the world I want to do is write something that could be perceived as "racist."  I'm already editing my thoughts before I type them and trying to find "neutral" words to express my thoughts.  Afterall, I'm not black.  I'm white.  What could I possibly know?  I have zero credibility to write about this subject, right?  Well, something brought you here to my personal blog, so you can leave now if you're easily offended because I'm going to do my best to express myself clearly without being offensive.

First.  I love my students.  Each and every one of them.  My fourteen champions enter our Locker Room packed down with baggage.  They're nine and ten years old and yet many of them have seen, heard and experienced things I've never encountered in my 45 years!  Most of my students live in poverty.  They receive free lunch and their parents do not pay school fees.  And yet... I know that four of my 4th graders have cell phones.  Okay, perhaps they need a cell phone for safety reasons.  Most of them have Wii game systems and flat screen TVs, many have the TVs in their bedrooms!  This bothers me.  A lot.  Granted, I'm not their mother and it's not up to me to raise these children, but it IS up to me to educate them.  Often my students fall asleep in class.  Why?  I've asked them that question and it's often because they've stayed up as late as they wanted playing video games until 2 or 3 in the morning.  Just yesterday, I had a student report to me that another student said something to her about "fingering her."  No kidding.  4th grade.  How tragically, tragically sad!  Where is their childhood?  Who stole their innocence?  Why are they exposed to cable TV shows, movies, and music that send them distorted messages about how life is supposed to work?  And yet church is important.  Church matters.  It's central to the community.  In my opinion, it's also one possible solution to the growing problem.  Community churches have credibility.  The people who live in the community trust their pastors.  The people in the community do not trust white teachers who come to their school to "change our children!"  They do not trust "religious" white people who look at them as "mission projects" or a way to feel better about themselves for donating their cast-offs to the "poor."  (Cynical me coming out full force now)  Can I blame them?  Heck, no! 

My students grow up fighting to survive.  They fight and argue in class a lot.  Each other...me...assistant teachers...substitutes...no one is off limits.  Why?  The jury is still out on this one.  Most of my students respect their mothers tremendously.  I cannot imagine them talking back to their mothers, and yet they don't hesitate to talk back to me.  I heard something that stopped me in my tracks yesterday.  A respected white teacher in an urban school was told by a student that his family had told him that he didn't have to listen to ANYTHING a white man told him.  I can't help thinking that may be true for white women too.  Why?  It's got to be a lack of trust.  Racism is alive and well and both sides are guilty of it, but somehow we are going to have to put aside our differences and come together in the best interest of our children.  ALL of our children, but especially those children who are painfully behind academically.  There is just too much at stake here.  Get over it, people.  Time is precious and time is wastin'!

I'm interested in knowing what a black child hears when I gently ask him/her to "Face the front and pay attention" that would cause the child to yell, "I wasn't doing nuthin!!"  Ummm, I never said that the child was "doing something," I simply needed him to focus on the lesson at hand.  Confrontation breeds conflict and conflict shuts down the road to learning.  I don't understand this about my students.

More later...

AES, Part II

Yesterday, I took the entire day off from school.  The "lump" was still there.  My results were abnormal.  My anxious thoughts robbed me of peaceful sleep.  Each time an upsetting thought crossed my mind, I'd tell myself to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything, through prayer and thanksgiving make your requests known to God"

I took stock of my life.  IF it is the worst, then what did I have to fear?  I've lived a great life.  I know where I'm going...but somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I still wondered if I'd gotten the whole faith thing right.  God would let me into Heaven, wouldn't He?  I did accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I acknowledge that I am a sinner and cannot save myself.  I hoped with everything in me that I got that part right.  I even found myself thinking of people I would know in heaven.  Papaw Ebb and Papaw Elbert.  Grandmother King.  Rick Campbell.  Vickie Tharpe.  Dale Mayo.  Would they have time to welcome me?  Would I be scared?  I know it sounds absolutely crazy to have these kinds of thoughts but they were there.

Funny how perspective changes the way you see, hear, feel, and experience ordinary things.  I've enjoyed the taste of my food more.  I've listened more closely to my children and I've given them my undivided attention.  I've appreciated my husband and took notice of the little things he does to make my life easier.  I savored the day.

One o'clock came way too soon and as I headed back to the Palace of Pain, I regretted not having lunch with my kids at school when I had the chance.

This time as I made my way in the doors, I wondered if this would become a regular thing for me.  Would I be coming here so often that I'd become familiar with the details of the building?

Check-in was very similar to the first time with the exception of the number of people in the waiting room.  There must have been at least 20 men waiting there.  Some were dozing; some were watching TV, some were reading; a couple were playing with their phones; and two or three were just wringing their hands.  I missed Tom and wanted "my man" to be there with me too.

I read a quote on the desk of my "insurance card" lady that read, "You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than by what others say about him."  Have I said more good things about people than bad?  Not lately.  I've been so critical. My tongue can be so cruel.  Tame your tongue, Amy.  Shut your mouth.  Conviction.  Got it, God.

I was called back to the changing room after a short wait.

Awkward, Embarrassing, and Scary...but Worth It!

I've been avoiding my blog for a few days because I wasn't sure I should tackle a topic this personal in such an "open" forum.  In the hope that baring my soul may encourage someone else, I'm going to just put it out there.  (Inside, I'm laughing right now because I'm thinking of my unintentional puns).

Two weeks ago, I found a lump.  Yep.  A lump.  There.  I can still feel the blood drain from my face and my pulse rate increase even as I think back on it.  Maybe I had imagined it, so I checked again.  Yes, it was still there.  Definitely still there.

I was immediately filled with fear and regret.  Eight years ago, when Sam was born, my doctor told me it was time to get a mammogram.  At 36 years old, I needed to "baseline" and he gave me the name of a reputable center along with his referral.  But I didn't go.  I didn't even make the appointment.

At my yearly "big girl" check-up that I only went to for the purpose of getting my birth control pill prescription refilled, he told me the same thing.  For THREE years he stressed to me that I simply MUST get that baseline mammogram, but I did not think it was important.  Until I felt "the Lump."  At that point, it became critically important...and it was too late.  What's that he'd told me?  A mammogram can detect breast cancer up to three years before a lump could be felt?! 

How stupid, foolish, and arrogant am I?  What makes me think I'm immune to health challenges?  What makes me think "it could never happen to me?" 

After processing the reality of the possibility of breast cancer, I resolved to call a doctor first thing Monday morning.  My doctor had closed his practice and his office phone number was no longer in service.  I called a doctor I knew from having taught his children.  Fortunately, I was able to schedule an appointment at 11:15 that every day.  Relief, desperation, and panic mixed together and I told the office that I needed to leave school immediately to go to the doctor.  I admit it.  Tears came. 

I called my mom and she went with me.  Bless her heart.  I hope I can be there for each of my children like my mom has been there for me. 

My doctor was unbelievably wonderful!  He was patient, understanding, caring, and comforting.  After "checking me out" he told me that he did not suspect my lump to be cancerous, but...yeah, he said it too...I needed to get a baseline mammogram to be sure.  Trust me, I made my appointment that very day!

One week later, I made my way to Knoxville Breast Center.  As I walked through the frosted glass doors, I was struck by the "feminine feel" of the office.  At check-in, I was given a vibrating pager and told to have a seat.  I barely had time to sit down before the pager started shaking.  I was told to keep my pager, but go to "room 5" - a computer check-in area behind a sliding glass door.  I answered the typical questions and passed over my insurance card.  Try as I might, I couldn't help noticing the "boutique" stocked with wigs, padded bras, etc.  Just the sight of the room full of fake heads with various wigs was enough to sent chills down my spine.

Within seconds, my pager alerted me that "they" were ready for me again.  This time I was ushered to a dressing room and told to use baby wipes to remove my deodorant, undress from the waist up and put on a lovely blue-green gown.  Once I was "ready" I could wait in the "screening waiting room."  Here we go...I thought to myself.  In the back of my mind, I knew that this day could very well change my life forever.  The "funny" emails I'd received about mammograms played through my mind.  Yeah, I'm getting ready to smash my breast under a car's tire...or maybe just slam the garage door down on it as hard I could...not so funny now to be sure!

Again, I had barely sat down when I was called into another room.  Judging from the equipment in this room, I was in the right place to be tortured.  And I was.  No kidding.  It hurt.  A lot.  A whole lot.  BUT it did not last long.  The technician took several pictures of both sides.  Modesty went out the window.  Personal space?  None here.  The entire process took about 10 minutes.  I was told the results would be mailed to me in a week to ten days.  Okay.  I done. 

Sore, tired, and somewhat relieved, I dressed quickly and headed out the door.  Admittedly, I thought to myself that "that wasn't so bad!"  I never, ever should have waited to get that done, simply for the peace of mind that a good result promised.  I was amazed as I drove out of the parking lot that the entire process took less than 30 minutes!

Then last Friday, I got the results in the mail.  They wanted me back.  Something on my pictures seemed out of the ordinary, but they did not suspect cancer, but wanted to get more information.  Seriously?  I called and made the earliest appointment available.