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#BCSTech Podcast - Episode #4 - Traci Blackburn and Beth Fugate

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#BCSTech Podcast - Episode #4 - Traci Blackburn and Beth Fugate. Instructional Technology Coordinator Scott Webb (@Swebb_32) hosts the #BCSTech Podcast featuring ELA Coordinator Traci Blackburn (@TraciBlackburnB) and Math Coordinator Beth Fugate (@mrsf4math) In this episode, we discuss the district ELA and Math goals, Open Court, Math Teacher Leaders, and selfies.

Show Transcript

welcome to the BCS Tech podcast I'm Scott web page Virtual Technology coordinator for Bradley County schools and it's a privilege and absolute privilege to have on the show today or Ela coordinator Tracy Blackburn and our math coordinator Fugate ladies I can I'm so excited to have you on the show today I can't believe you're here thanks for joining me we've already taken by the way a series of selfies so you can look for those on social media a little bit later tonight but ladies it's Pizza it's great to have you here today are you really excited to be here excited to be here when it's great that it's great to have you and I guess we will Jump Right In U2 see you all over the district you guys are so involved in what's happening in our schools their training and and and all sorts of things just just just talk about how you got into education Tracy and it in the passion that you have for for helping our students putting off that's not a wise thing to do but the timing was right I had two children and Chelsea and Jake and when after they were born. Decide to go back to school and get my degree I started teaching when I was about 28 years old because I just love working with Stu let's let's listen that's not as late as you think it is I know somebody to maybe sitting in this chair right here and then start teaching toes about 26 so not as late as you think yes that's so it more seasoned the game working with kindergarten students II students at Taylor elementary school and after about 14 years in the classroom I moved into the instructional Coach position there and spend about 10 years in that position before I moved to the district office well we are at we're happy to have you and you such a great job Beth you're a newbie sort of it I knew be like me it's not been that long ago you're in the classroom BM give us a little bit of the the best Fugate Story the short version we don't need we don't need all the details right I definitely feel we stayed but I absolutely love this transition in my career I so I entered education really in my heart probably when I was about 6 or 7 years old and so always have played school and my mother was a ninja Jason so I even had a teacher desk in my room from really there early as I can remember just went up another level for me I didn't think it was possible no I didn't I'll be out of town student I love helping students and now I realize that mathematics is really the only thing I was good at and I absolutely love mathematics start with a good a good fit for me and I went to MTSU and got my I agree they are loved it so much that went back and got my masters degree in mathematics oh did I mention that I really love mathematics I thought it somewhere don't you so anyway I have left at MTSU and got a job in Rutherford County and had the privilege to teach there and then just threw some Divine transitions I ended up here in Walker Valley left my time here and Stan's Walker Valley and then to the district office 2 years ago I can't the excitement that you to generate is is really it's mean you can see it you can see it you can see it when you're in classrooms and and you guys do a great job on social media there great files on social media if you want to see what's happening in our schools but it's but but it takes a passion and excitement to really you just hit I guess so that is just in Grain you just love what you do and it's any out for me this site I can handle the messed up that side of the aisle was a little more difficult than it a lot of people it's vice versa but you it's it's great to have a passion for what you do and it shows up in what you do I agree with that alongside being foolish language arts coordinator in math coordinator we both have a passion for student engagement I think that's something that the commonality that really cries what we did we want to see all of our stuff Riley County just excited about what they're doing and actively engaged tomorrow because we did we did a lot of training on student engage and have been for a while but I know it's beginning of this year and particular headed to training session you did for the high schools and it's really important that's it that's a part of continuing to develop our teachers and making sure that we are doing what's best for our students and keeping them in exactly students have changed over the years since by the way we teach students has to change probably memories of some of you from a long time ago sitting in chairs were teachers were my nails like sharing and straight Rose those top things have changed since field vibrate with each other they need to be able to problem-solve and think through things so we have to set up classrooms that are designed to give students those opportunities that's a little easier transition and it is been for some of are more seasoned veterans that they'll it's the other that that that change in philosophy is really been something that we've been working on as a district to try to to increase the amount of student gagement we're having it is a mindset Tracy and I feed well off of one another because her background comes from Elementary in course man is all in secondary so we just really feel like we're is it's just there's Just Energy learning from them it's just it's it's a bear their exciting in it and it takes that kind of passion to to do this job in the kind of met up to to move and help move the district forward and I want to say what a great job you do I I can't say how how proud I am to work with you and and they're all your you're blowing up my phone about all the time but we need to do this and do that we're working on all that but they do a terrific job I do want to talk a little bit we we've established some District goals that I've been kind of a this is this is our expectations as a as a district this is what we want to give him and we have a couple that speak directly to to your positions Tracy I'll start with you you know why is it important for third address to be reading at a proficient level why is that so important why is that a district goal through the importance of that by the way the way our educational the curriculum and what we do is the way it set up I guess that's what I'm trying to say it's kindergarten through 3rd grade students really are learning to read we spend a lot of time and energy and that's how we focus our lessons are teaching kids how to read after third grade its it changes it takes a shift over where they're reading to learn so there's not explicit reading instruction after third grade so if we don't get students reading on level by the end of 3rd grade it's becomes very challenging could I have to get that at all right because then it then it's then you're trying to work on just getting them to be able to read and and not give up the copper in the material and things that they're trying to contact any textbook that Duran and under I'm at and if I can't read well that becomes more challenging for students in higher Dropout rates and things like that become challenges for them to graduate college and be college and career-ready will talk about some of the things you're doing to prepare to go them to that point in third grade cuz the re20 program that the amount the little libraries I can I mean I can you can just rattle off things that you can see us as a district that have really been purposefully working towards over the last several years we have programs actually in place for pre-k students students that are still sometimes at home with her parents and things move her siblings are already in our school it's the ready for kindergarten program each school has that opportunity for parents to actually come and learn how healthier preschoolers and I have a preference like birth to 5 and it comes with her puzzle play opportunities in the toys they actually get to take with them and use it's great so if you haven't if you have a child at home its 4:35 and you haven't had the opportunity to check with your school that your friend zoned for it and I'm sure they can pick you up with that but finally County really researched the best way to get our students on grade level by 3rd grade and after all the research we just wanted to go with open court curriculum and it is a very systematic explicit just program that teaches them every year this teacher will teach what you need to know in kindergarten and first grade will come along and build on that and second grade fulfilled and one of the things I was impressed about was the was the rollout of this you know sometimes and and this is on us and it at in education we we decide we're going to go in the direction and we jump all in and we throw it at everybody so instead of being incorrect on our approach we we jump all in with both feet but that we this program was was put in place differently then did a lot of programs I've seen in this in our school system and this was a huge Endeavor for our district we were taking on any reading program and we were implementing Workshop which I'll talk to you in just a moment about that but we did try to provide teachers with as much professional development as was needed to make sure they were successful with this because that's where we need to feel comfortable with what they're doing trying to so that I can do the job that they're supposed to be and I would we're having success we're saying we're saying I mean when you look now look at student achievement you're starting to see what those Endeavors are paying we're getting we're reaping the rewards for those on the back side truce classroom teachers I just weren't as comfortable with open court Christian we were also training PE teachers music Librarians and every person we can find how to teach reading so I guess there's a lot of training required for that because the model we have set up for Elementary classrooms I have an hour of on grade level instruction that every child gets and then I have one hour of Workshop that really is designed to meet the kids where they're at and what their particular needs are and provide them with instruction they need to move them but it's a whole school never everybody said well. all hands on deck Brenda Howard Workshop Tom Beth a district goal that we have math is Ben and math is an area struggle for a lot and it's and we this year we like to do including math go into our district expectations talk about that talk about the the the the reasoning behind the 5% increase annually that we would like to see and it and talk about your your thoughts on why that was an important step for us as a district for mathematics go on because the truth of the matter is we focus on what we focused on and so now that mathematics gets to be a part of that graphic and get to be with you no common complaint to change color because they are well you're not the only that was involved in the graphic I'm just going to look at somebody over here to your left backbone and saying accomplished here is what our hope is every child in our district so it's very difficult to put that into a measurable and attainable and math teacher leaders were getting phone calls for me all through the hour did the day to try to decide what can we call this was this look like for us and I wanted it to be more of a holistic approach so that we're all on board to increase in mathematics Proficiency in our district that's why we just did and that we will increase the amount of mathematics students proficient by 5% each year so what we wanted that to look like with for a teacher to think in my classroom what is 5% my baby my children in my classroom I can get that's you know if we be honest that's like one more child that maybe three more children write a percent of students mathematics I am helping this entire School District fry increase the students that are mathematically proficient that's really the heart of where it came from and our hope so the measurement part is is very difficult and Michael how are we going to after that so you know will look at our 10 ready scores at the end of this year and that will typically be about grades 2 or 3 and then all the way up to 11th grade Sol math teacher leaders are helping lead the progress than that they are developing common assessments for grade levels at their school buildings and high schools have definitely got that going on I'm at both High Schools they're using problematic so every student and math one two and three are taking all of the same test teacher coming together and analyzing that data and talking about what are we going to do if the student does not know this standard how can we get them up getting them to the point where they are all with that all of our students are working on the same types of things in that way it can it can help for data purposes and I'll just talk a little bit about that letter and what classroom that they're in they all should experience the same grade level standards they all have the opportunity to learn that high rigger high-level learning of mathematics and they all have to take the same state assessment so I really had a passion to number one develop some commonality and some equitability Eno a equity between the schools so that all the students were getting that same good high-quality mathematics instruction and research shows common assessments is the first step to do that so we use as common assessments the 3rd through 8th grade used as standards Mastery included with i-Ready which comes as a component of our curriculum Associates yet it has amazing report that will tell you what the student knows what they don't know and then it'll tell you how to fix that so there's just a plethora of information that's out there so that we can drill down and I and I say this often is a friend it is we are on a journey to helping every child Master every standard and so how do we inform our instruction to help them achieve that something similar I know I have got to help a little bit on that just straightening clean things up but but but you're looking at doing some of the same similar type steps you know creating this is We're All in This Together Ben this is what we're going to work on together as a group right right yeah the cricket American secondary I was getting there but you thanks for thanks for thanks for helping me out there yeah so we had a team of teachers that worked weather to develop fat and very excited about that process it was a great process we had the high school teachers from both of our high schools and Middle School teachers working together on that and I think really appreciated the opportunity to work together clap what would you say I guess in this role it sweet we have to think in terms of what's best for students and are sometimes in the classroom sometimes there is hey we want to do better than this one all that and I get all that there's nothing wrong with competition amongst ourselves but we need to be providing the same level of x location for all of us or for all of our students in and that's not competitive that's that's what that's what our job is need to work together across the district I am to come this document and we are following that across our district and not just really weird and flexibility also I also have that expectation of what they should be accomplishing in the classroom in line like that said just to make sure that we have Equity across our district if a student moves from one school to another school classroom to classroom we can be assured that we know what to expect that there is a level of expectation now what happens in an above that you know that's the creative part of being a classroom teacher that I think we've all enjoy being a part of but setting that Baseline and say this is the expectation this is what above that hey thumbs up great job but this the level of expectation we all expect you to be the math conversate I'm the commonality that you were speaking of allows a student to move from one school to another in wall Friday and and no to routines right off the bat we don't lose time with those students that transition they know what to it what to do they know how to go about it now that it's just any content with writing about this morning you mentioned springboard open court in springboard or curriculum that we that we have moved to just cancel above background about why that decision was made and in the impact it's having in our schools in court we were looking at that we're looking at and although Bradley County was above the state and their proficient reading scores in third grade we were still not satisfied with the scores that we were getting the safe across the state for out of 10 students proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade that's that's not okay with us I mean which group would you want your child to be in a we've been teaching reading of course his brother I think what has helped in the support that open court provided was the consistent routine that it provides that's I think what has moved us to it's a long teachers in the password good teachers of reading but you may do it differently in your classroom that I was doing it differently but you referred you to just starting strategy one way teach it totally different like in from grade level to spending a lot of time for something a different way that provides the instructions at bills they learn a routine one and then no matter what classroom they're in and what grade we had that same routine just the content that changed and it's been a positive teachers really they're getting very creative with it now it's there comforter with a crazy long as they've got any more experience than that then then the creative things start to happen springboard we had a a nationally-recognized Springbok Sports actually was named a national teacher of Distinction was springboard she's actually the only one in the state of Tennessee that has been recognized for that honor on she presented her project-based learning presentation which is what brought the pantry the food pantry I was happy to help them develop the form that was really cool that what they're doing is pretty awesome Texas over the summer and in Louisiana couple of weeks ago and it was able to present it actually yesterday to all of our teachers and the secondary level crossword yesterday so it's very exciting when there's some teachers all across the southeast that are that I've been reaching out to her and say we want to do something similar like that we have many more qualified we got a lot of good people working there. We Beth you've you started something a little different math teacher leaders I got that right this done talk about the concept behind at the starting of the program and it is and what it is is going to do for math facts across the district mascot you might don't get you preaching a listen if anybody needs a you should have heard how long on a bramble last night at work session Bloomington there are there I just absolutely love our math teacher leaders I love our program that we have here they are a truly cannot speak more highly of them they are great great group and you know I think it came from no realizing that we needed more focused on mathematics that and how to and who to write so it's kind of like identifying those people with mathematical expertise that are already your buildings and then doing basically a train the trainer process within so I have the opportunity to a lot for them to come out of the classroom 10 days I'm so their sides discovered by four ticular account so they come they receive training and Ice they receive training it's it's more like I really powerful effective conversation because I have 15 mathematical experts all sitting at the table and they teach all the way from Great Skate 3 so it is it is not an action it's a lot of nerdy talk so he was out there it's hard to see when you get a group of people excited about mathematics in one room it can be a little time with one another would have it I'm just really great conversation and I think and I think they would tell you the same and what they love is being with each other and hearing you know because we are in an isolated profession unfortunately to some degree in so they get the opportunity to hear life is like in first grade second grade and all the way up to 12th grade and see these connections and that what they are teaching you know in elementary is so so impactful to our high school level standards and I'm just drawing those connection I really think it came from recognizing the need for the focus of mathematics so miss Newman and mr. Lindbergh and and and full of people actually went to the state department and wrote this big program they had to go monthly or every other month to miss Tracy can speak more to it probably than I can as it was before my time right so that we could write about the words and it said we're in a year and it is just going really great they're basically they come to me once a month and then the next month they deliver that training or those experiences that we had with one another they deliver that back at their buildings the next month looks a little bit different in each building but most of them take a full day and do grade level PLC semi host after-school trainings for teachers I can effectively meeting kind of setting so that everybody gets that same it's our Folk is a 8 effective practices of mathematics teaching so we're just really taken those one by one and diving in and and hoping to enhance our mathematics instruction I could but when you have when you people that are the AR outstanding at their job and be are passionate about that and especially about mathematics you know it's it's it's pretty exciting that you had several meetings at in my office building and the level of excitement I mean you think somebody's in there throwing a party and you get in there and they're talking about Matthew like good Lord these people but it but that's it takes it takes that kind of passion to move things for I recognize that they are seen as and interested as the mathematical leaders at their building so they take it very seriously and they go absolutely above and beyond when we're able had more district-wide mathematics trainings I pull them in and they facilitate the training but the more you you can work together the more you can start the spread you would love to be able to sit down with every teacher in a district both of you and so you know we could work on this and you've got to find ways to do that and you guys do you do a great job with the math team leaders and both of you together with the instructional coaches you know they are they are really come of that the that they're on the front line really out there leading the charge and it is are strengths and all that kinds different we bring that back to the table and yeah we open a lot of our meetings with what works and what's not working and let's talk that out and let's problems off with one another I'm so again it's just I really can spend the rest of our podcast floor nobody wants to talk about Matt Ryan powerful about teachers teaching other teachers there's absolutely it's I tell this to everybody you can bring in the best consultants and all that sir stuff that's great and they're knowledgeable and they're excited and all that sort of but I want to sit down with teachers because they know what happens on a day-to-day basis and they can help me go through the process of this will work this work maybe you try it this way maybe it's right that way because they have lived that life and they have fought that battle already and so teacher teacher training is always Much More Much More meaningful and impactful for me than anything else that's what I've already gotten from the feet but his I love him I think some other teachers what went well what didn't go well but I learned from this how I would do this differently next time just sharing each other's experiences it's awesome and awesome for profession and we do we have a very important role and you ladies do an outstanding job we're going to take a short commercial break we come back going to give you enough to talk about the division for Bradley County schools in in in in ela and math you're listening to the BCS Tech podcast will be back just one minute hello this is Sheena Newman Elementary supervisor for Bradley County Schools did you know that reading aloud 20 minutes a day is the most powerful way to assure your child success in school read with the children in your life the best return on your investment Bradley County Schools growing students building futures go back to the BCS Tech podcast I'm Scott Webb instructional technology corner of redneck Bradley County Schools listen English sometimes me squeaking noise English as a struggle but I do have Ela coordinator Tracy viburnum at coordinator Beth Fugate also Dibble and a little social studies and science you're going to get to see this year I'm I'm taking this Fugate with us to Florida's we go to the fetc conference take this one next and see I know there's no  there's not enough you know there's only so many selfies that can be taken over a person few days so that the selfie Queens of Bradley County Schools but you are at where you are at what is a Twitter war vets in Spring merangap that's good stuff to tweet at me and say hey look at this I am a Twitter work I was proud I mean I read Twitter well yeah then Tuesday nights you you jump right in there we both know that's a good stuff we've that's my fault we've been a little busy and I'm done it a whole lot the last for going to get back into that that's actually the justice of this thing that the BCS Tech podcast. I think this is the 4/5 episode I can't talk technology once I will get there when you get there we're going to do a big podcast after we get back from fetc talk about all the cool things happening and I and educational technology and in you are going to be I'm just going to give you for warning you are going to be fired up when you get down there and see all the things that are out there for four students and then we're going to work on finding a way to find all that so I will wrap things up the second I just wanted to give you an opportunity to talk a little bit about the division about where Tracy I'll let you go first where you know you would like to see us move towards here in the next few years where where where are our strength where are places that we want to see continue to grow well it is our desire that every student Bradley County be able to read and read well we want them to be ready for college ready for careers but we also understand that along with reading what does hand in hand without his writing so we are really beginning to look at student writing across the district and how we can put more emphasis in that area I think if you speak with anyone he's graduated and gone into any profession they would tell you they need to be a proficient writer to be able to be successful in that communication so very important to talk to several recent grad high school graduates and they know that first year to colleges it's it's it's a little you know it's a little overwhelming with the amount of writing that they just don't get enough time practicing the skill do they example he would love to hear this in the military did not enjoy riding how you know when he was in school that he say now I'm pretty sure that he wishes he had learned more about writing skills because in the military you have to be able to communicate well with others so in the form of writing and not just speaking and listening but it all goes together so yes and absolutely your vision on on on where we are mathematically now in and where we meet we need to continue to grow and your hopes Bradley County Schools but we grow students and Futures and so mathematics plays into that because we want our students to be mathematically fluent and to have those skills of problem solving and logic you know mathematics is so much more than an answer to a mathematics problem do you ever get tired of the question why would I ever use this again no because in mathematics to see the creativity the joy and the beauty that is embedded in mathematics and for them to feel confident in mathematics and 2 to have an entry into frogs and so you don't I hope that that's my vision for every student here in Bradley County Schools is that when they presented with a mathematics problem that they can say the skills and the content and the cancer actual knowledge in order to answer that question I used to tell my students all the time friend that can teach you how to solve every mathematics problem but I can teach you how to be a mathematician and that's that's our hope for our kids is that they are able to think mathematically and we see that it's it's look at act it's her scores and obviously as a district we and we just announced that the other day that they we took another leap forward and it's yeah we are now that the highest scoring District in the South so it's it's there it's a tremendous and we made progress but we we are not where we want to go I mean you know if the fact that that there's there's a goal and embedded in her expect visions of where we want to get to and it's going to take both of you ladies to to get us there and I can't tell you what a great job I think you're both doing in regards to that if the students don't make the ACT benchmark ice cooler than they want to take remedial math courses remedial English courses in N I don't want that you knows you have to communicate just that you pay for part of your GPA does not credit toward accomplishing of your degree and so we've done some recent work with are instructional coaches here in the district and my teacher leaders as well where we have looked at the ACT connections document and seen that many many many of the ACT standard actually taught in elementary school and so just bringing about an awareness of how valuable those you know those skills and no standards are at those grade levels will it's important that we look at that it's we're all educating it we're all all teachers whether you're a kindergarten assistant or you're a high school physics teacher you know that ACT scores are cuz really accumulation of all of that knowledge and stuff and put that together so we really we're all teaching and then sometimes we think while I'm just teaching this or I'm just teaching that but really it's a it's a cumulation of everybody in and that's what we want to do we want to give our kids the best success the best chance for success and it it it takes the phrase it takes a village to it takes a village it takes a village it takes all of us and it takes all of us that disitu to get our kids where we want them to be in we got a lot at we're doing a lot of great things in this County and I've been so impressed with people that I work with now they're at central office leading the charge on that you know you don't talk you don't always see that when you're in a classroom teacher but it's been great for me to have that perspective in and you two are at the top of my list you guys do a great job and and it's it's been a pleasure to at the CN action and work with you most of the time and especially the graphic the creation of graphics and things like that it's been a real pleasure but but it's and it's and I'm happy that you came on the show see it was not that bad was it oh that was that was great I almost pulled a hammy but it was pink shirt with pom poms moment when we talked about grated are opening in service this year trait that was just excited I've seen Tracy in a long time she got down to change the chair again and she was fired because she was fired who was fired up to get back out there did a great job I just I just want you to remember who got who got in the pink shirt and pom-poms for it so just remember I didn't take one for the team up let's have to do that I can't wait I cannot wait for that to happen it's two years in a row I've been embarrassed by then service at a dance with Larry Bell let the year before that happens it happens Larry Bell we could spend a whole we may have to have Larry Bell on the podcast we've got that women have to try to make that happen he would we have pizza in we may try to make that happen that's pretty exciting well ladies but just give me a holler will come up here and turn the mic song chat on the radio CZ podcast things either just sit back and talk I told you to give me a piece of cake and next thing you know we talked to her 4050 minutes well thank you ladies for absolutely thank you for doing that you do a great job and I and I appreciate you being on the show today that's going to do it for this episode of the BCS Tech podcast will I think next month or are there in our next episode we're going to have Bradley Central High School assistant principal Patrick sprinklers going to be on the show and talk about some of the great things that are going on at at at at Bradley Central High School when and and I kept some of his journeys as he's been to Germany twice with the school system last night last 6-8 months to to really kind of talk about some of the things that are happening in our district and with technology and with work learning and in some of that stuff he's a he's a great resource and he does a great job site I believe he's going to be I believe the schedule is going to work out he's going to be our next gasp but for Tracy Blackburn and Beth Fugate Scott Webb thanks for listening to the PCS podcast

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