We sat down with 2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year Carolyn Lowe. Her heart for her special education students (and all students, really) shines as she discusses the key ingredients for what makes a great teacher. She also talks about American Girl Doll Parties and The Avengers. What does that have to do with FISD, you ask? Listen to find out!
We sat down with 2022 Elementary Teacher of the Year Carolyn Lowe. Her heart for her special education students (and all students, really) shines as she discusses the key ingredients for what makes a great teacher. She also talks about American Girl Doll Parties and The Avengers. What does that have to do with FISD, you ask? Listen to find out!
Speaker 1 As far as do I keep up with it like I know all the players? No, I went to high school with Brendan back the day, so that's my Astros all the same. All right, So you're older now. Speaker 2 Did you watch the lesson games? Unknown Yes, because in school, these games played in Phillies fans. Speaker 2 Terrible. Speaker 4 Awful. Yeah. We're not even allowed to discuss it with Shawn. Like, I literally can't say anything to him about it because he gets so upset. Speaker 2 But we all do believe, hopefully everybody at this table believes in a fresh start. So absolutely, it's going to be a fresh start. And I have all the confidence in the world. I know stories are going to end. Speaker 4 And I'm hopeful that, like it was so terrible yesterday that it just the pendulum swings tonight. Right. I should, I think, more than terrible. Speaker 2 I like to think that they need to be gracious to another team while they're at home and let them just celebrate and win one. Yeah. And we're just going to take the other two. Of course. Yeah. So. Speaker 4 So we're it's it's just that southern hospitality, right? Yeah. Speaker 2 Which of course our, our players have. Yeah. So welcome Carolyn Lou FISA Estes 2022 Elementary teacher of the year and of course so many other titles go with that but we're going to be talking about several things today. But before we do, we want to welcome you. And will you, Carolyn, tell us a little bit about yourself. Speaker 1 I wonderful. Well, thank you for having me again. I'm Carolyn Lowe. I am a teacher at Westwood Elementary School. I have a beautiful 17 year old daughter at home who is a senior in high school. And so when I'm not at school, that's that's where my time and my priorities lay here at school. Gosh, I've worked for seven different districts now and happy to be in Friendswood. Speaker 1 Friendswood definitely home. Speaker 2 Well, Friendswood loves you, so we're glad that you're here. So we were having lunch today, actually with a fan of yours. Big fan, Britney. Yeah, big fan. She went on and on. She in Friendswood is over the Community Education Department and she was telling us all about some community ed classes that you have and how much the kids love these classes. Speaker 2 So specifically, she was talking about an American girl class. But tell us what this what this is. Speaker 1 Well, community Ed is just the best opportunity for me personally as an as an extra job, a little more income, but just as an outreach to the community and provide some nonacademic ways for kids to to celebrate and kids to to join in and find kind of their fun niche at school in the summer. It's all kinds of camps. Speaker 1 But in the school year, I have community education. Parties and parties are camps that I host just on Fridays after school from 330 to 730, and they started out with just American girl camps where kids get to come in and talk about friendship and relationships. They got to do some character building, but then some fun things like Valentine's Day camps where we made little Valentine boxes or camping or we got to make tents. Speaker 1 Then I had some of the boys who kind of felt excluded, even though they were welcome to come. And so it's expanded this year. And I've had a mad scientist camp in an adventure camp coming up. And so it's great for parents. They get a little parents night out and some dinner away while the kids are at school having fun. Speaker 2 That is a brilliant con. Speaker 4 So yeah. Speaker 2 So they so it starts at 330. Does it go is it just at Westwood? Is it just for Westwood students or for just in the community? Any kid that signs up, it's. Speaker 1 Open to the community. We have a lot of of Klein kids that come over to Westwood. Okay. And so it really starts right after school. So really three or five, our Klein kids kind of wait till 320, you know, our elementary school campuses with the car line that goes all the way past red top. Yes. So they wait till that line gets a little bit slower and then they come and they're able to join us as well. Speaker 1 And so at each camp we have we have several Klein kids. I've had Winson kids before. I have some Bailes kids. I know that this has expanded quite a bit, too. And so we now have a win song teacher who heard the idea over the summer and she's doing some afterschool parties on her campus now as well. Speaker 2 That's brilliant. So you said, what's the next one coming up for the for our listeners out there? Speaker 1 The next one is Avengers, and Avengers is open to Westwood and Klein students. It will be housed at Westwood and I've had to do a lot of research on Avengers. I have a little girl at home, so Brittany Austin actually challenged me. Her boys had been asking and asking for an adventures, and so I said, Absolutely. So I've had to learn about the Avengers slightly. Speaker 2 Was it set? Like, do you know what it's going to entail that you can give a little sneak peek or you haven't really designed the class yet? Speaker 1 Well, I'm pretty spontaneous. My my ideas. Come on, I'm driving to work. Okay. And so there's a few things. My daughter helps with the community at campus. So she our camp. So she does quite a bit of volunteer work. And so she's full of ideas as well. And she's my organized daughter, so she has the Pinterest boards and there's one activity that she's excited about where we have little characters that we freeze in ice blocks. Speaker 2 And the. Speaker 1 Kids are challenged of freeing that the good guys and finding different ways, whether it's pouring water on, we have little chisels. And so they'll be a little relay race too, to unfreeze the characters, their frozen blocks. Speaker 4 And I assign I. Speaker 2 Know. Speaker 4 You get pizza kids, parents sign their child up. Speaker 1 So there is a community education website on our Friendswood Independent School District page. And you can sign up directly through that link on that link. There's also other camps on other campuses. I know at Westhill, we have a roller skating camp and there's a Spanish camp that is taught by somebody else. But you can can look in that page and you can scroll down and see anything that interests you. Speaker 2 Oh, that's wonderful. Yeah, that's awesome. I know. You know Maddie Owen, she teaches with you. She's my daughter in law. And Maddie and her adorable husband, Cannon. Speaker 4 The most precious Evan looks just like his mom. Speaker 2 Okay, That's my son. But they actually have they they're working with Brittany to come up with a class to teach young ones like cutting. They're going to start with cutting skills and, like, how to actually start chopping your vegetables. And they're going to do like a what was it, a charter? Speaker 4 Yeah, like a chopped style. They're going to eventually, I guess, end up in a chop style competition where I guess you have to create meals from certain food items. And anyway, yeah, it's super cute. Speaker 2 That'll be. Speaker 1 Cute. They're going to do it at West. What are they going to do it in the new kitchen at the high school? Speaker 2 Yeah, I'm. I'm going to stay. I'm not going to get to that question. I really have no idea. That's the extent of the information you just have on that. Speaker 4 Just going to. Speaker 2 Plug one into plug that. All this. If you're interested in teaching your kids how to cook and that'll be coming out soon. Is there a set number of kids that can sign up for the course like do? Is it a hard stop at a certain number? Speaker 1 I'm kind of a sucker. I have a hard time saying no. And since I do have a volunteer that comes up, I am able to accommodate really in the summer, it looks like 20 to 24 kids in the school year because it's late at night, kids are a little more tired. Have to keep things going at a different pace. Speaker 1 It's normally about 16 kids. Speaker 2 Yeah, okay. What a great thing. Caroline, thank you for talking to us through that. And if you're interested out there, make sure that you go to the community education classes by starting off at my office. The econ is where you can find that information. So Caroline, you are an inclusion teacher. We kind of give a little bit of that at Westwood. Speaker 2 We give a little bit of background on what inclusion teacher is and why they are essential to schools. Speaker 1 Absolutely so. And Inclusion Teacher really is a teacher who has a background, a degree working with special populations and really working on providing specialized instruction for students. And so we scaffold instruction, we differentiate instruction, just really meet the needs of all students on our campus. We work alongside general education teachers. Some have lots and lots of experience with with differentiating and some are new to the differentiating world. Speaker 1 And so we really teach those teachers about students accommodations and different ways to to give all kids access to the curriculum. It's lots of paperwork, lots of data driven decisions. We we chart and log how kids are doing and and make decisions and adjust to the level of support they receive based on that information. Speaker 2 Essentially, if a student is in special education and they have a special plan that is developed in an ARD, that's when a teacher kind of follows that plan to know it's important that this child that's in special education has a and help me with the terminology here but has a a fair a fair. Speaker 1 Equal access. Speaker 2 To. Speaker 1 The curriculum. Absolutely. Speaker 2 And they may have some weaknesses that they need help with. So that just kind of guides the teacher with the student may be struggling over here. So here are some accommodations that would help the student be successful. Yeah, it's. Speaker 1 It's really at the ARD meeting. It's really a legal binding document that's really done in collaboration with parents, with teachers, with administrators. And we work together to form a plan. It's just really going to meet the needs of the students. And sometimes that's with accommodations. Only accommodations is how the kids have access, sometimes the modified curriculum. So the what? Speaker 1 Maybe some prerequisite skills. Sometimes kids, again, just need those accommodations. Sometimes kids need specialized instruction, some need some specific goals. Sometimes that is just coaching and teaching the general education how to support sometimes that someone with a spare degree like myself or a paraprofessional that actually goes into that classroom and really works on providing some of that specialized instruction. Speaker 1 So it's a whole plateau, a whole, you know, just a big it looks different for all kids. Speaker 4 Now. Did you say earlier when we were talking that you were formally in general education and made a transition to special Ed? Speaker 1 I did, yes. Speaker 4 Okay. So so why did you make that change? Speaker 1 So I did. I started teaching in a general education classroom in first grade. And when I got to Westwood, I started to loop. I had some kids that some other teachers may find challenging and I really found that exciting. To me, a challenge is it's exciting to me. It's I have to change what I do to make that child successful. Speaker 1 And I really I enjoy that. I enjoy that challenge. I enjoy seeing kids that might have a difficult time, really be successful all of a sudden. And so I would loop, so I would go from first grade to second grade, and I'd always keep a few of the kids that really showed that they were being successful with some of the differentiation I was providing. Speaker 1 And I go back down to first grade and then loop up to second grade. And I talked with my principal, Ms.. Holbrook, who was the principal at the time quite a bit. And we went back and forth and you now I need you in the classroom to really, really be an inclusive general ed teacher. And so I did that for quite a few years and I loved that. Speaker 1 But then I needed more of a challenge. And the nice thing about education is if you really want it to be the same, it can be the same. But for most teachers, you change up your instruction every year to meet the needs of the students. And I wanted even more of a change than that, and I wanted to really grow myself. Speaker 1 And so I found that when I had a lot of kids that needed some individualized instruction, I needed to grow as an educator and learn how to do that. And the best way was just completely immersing myself. And so I became a teacher. And so I worked with students that really needed modified curriculum. And then I knew I needed to grow a little bit more. Speaker 1 So I actually left Friendswood for a couple of years. Then I became a district behavior teacher and the behavior coach and I started an acquiring social development class. And then Westwood called me back and I felt like I had learned quite a bit that I was able to come back and share and grow alongside some of my friends with teachers. Speaker 1 And so I came back home. Speaker 4 That's awesome. Speaker 2 That is awesome. You know, I, I would think you would think the same thing as I became as I was a teacher. And first of all, I love the looping idea. That's brilliant because I would think kids in special ed especially change is difficult. Maybe not always, maybe just there are just some personalities where change is difficult and then to keep the same teacher where you didn't have to learn. Speaker 2 You already knew the students you already knew had those relationships with the parents. I think looping is a brilliant idea, but get into the IEP. So get into individualized education plans and personally, I think all teachers know that all individuals really need IEPs, right? All students need. We're getting to where our students were discovering. All students need individual plans. Speaker 2 So just talk to us a little bit about that, about IEPs and how you're seeing IEPs worked into the classroom. Speaker 1 Well, we are so, so very blessed and lucky in Friendswood. We do have teachers that really understand and recognize and believe in the need of differentiating for all children. And when you have a philosophy like that and a belief like that in a teaching system like that, it's really easy to include all students. And you said something significant. Speaker 1 There's no real typical student. Like what is a typical student, right? No student is exactly in the same area in math or no student has exactly the same reading strengths and weaknesses. And so really, there is no typical student, Right? And so you have this big bubble of kids that all have different needs. And so when you have teachers that really believe in teaching small group, you can meet every single need there is. Speaker 1 You might have an incredibly strong reader, but that reader really struggles with nonfood fiction or that stroke reader really struggles with inferencing. And so, you know, just looking at a reader for their reading group doesn't really meet all of the needs and that goes right back into special education. And so in the general education classroom, when you have a teacher that's meeting in the small group reading groups and in those small math groups and they're conferring and and really working alongside one on one with with writers and coaching those writers on their their next goals. Speaker 1 Then we just do meet the needs of all of those students in those IEPs are just naturally met with really quality and good teaching. Speaker 2 I could see where just overall you're coaching with teachers best practices lend themselves to all levels of students. Speaker 1 Absolutely. Speaker 2 Just what's so beneficial for your role for going into classrooms and being able to work alongside teachers and saying, This is how I would do this? And it not only is applicable towards special ed kids, but to general Ed kids as well. Speaker 1 So salute. Speaker 2 Yeah, that's great. So did you know when you you said you started out as a regular ED teacher and then moved into special ed? How did you know that you wanted to be a teacher? Speaker 1 I had absolutely no idea. I'm not one of these kids who played school at home and knew it from an early age. I really didn't. I started in college and I was an intern for Nortel, which is a telecommunications company, and they kind of put me over on the side. And I taught adults the computer applications and the computer programs, and I really liked that teaching role. Speaker 1 And so I switched from social work over to education, still wasn't positive and I was in Austin at the time and started student teaching in 1860 and worked with just the most amazing mentor teacher. And she she wasn't by the book. She really met the needs of her students every day, and her lesson plans were change every day based on the needs of her students. Speaker 1 And I really enjoyed it. It was fun and being able to come to work and have fun was really, really important to me. Speaker 2 It was kind of an aha, what you just said about, you know, you started in a different line of work, but then you realized as you were teaching people in that line of work, essentially teaching seemed to come naturally to you. And so you were like, Maybe I would be a good teacher. I've never heard about it that way, you know, learning or thinking about being a teacher because training or teaching someone was came easy. Speaker 2 So that's I like that. Speaker 4 Yeah. And I can I mean I just from interactions have had with you before and then especially even just right now it's like you have just a very calm demeanor which I feel like would be so perfect in a classroom. Yeah. Especially with students with special needs, you know, just to be able to maintain a sense of calmness and patience. Speaker 4 I think it's a really awesome, awesome thing. Speaker 1 Thank you. It's one of the things I tell teachers is kids will match your emotion. And so if you're feeling that you're having a hard time regulating yourself, your kids will be at that same level. And so it's pretty important to keep things calm even when they're stressful things going on. Speaker 4 My my twin sister is this is actually her first year teaching and she's in special education. And she's very, very calm, too. She's real soft spoken. And she said that like she notices there's students who will get really what do you overstimulated pretty easily it will cause a lot of anxiety and like outbursts And she said really, she gets put with a lot of those students because she's just so she's so calm that it really does it seems to be able to calm them down a little more for sure. Speaker 2 If I could change a couple of thing about my parenting skills, I think it would be I think it would be as I look back on some things that I did wrong, to not always react when there is something that goes on, I think is considered a best practice. And I look back a little, Did I react like that? Speaker 4 Oh my gosh. So, Emily Hobbs, I don't know if you know her. She's at Klein. She's my good friend. She has a two year old daughter. She sent me this video a couple of months ago of her name's Holland. Holland was in these little high heels and she's trotting along and she falls. And it's like she immediately looks at Emily. Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 4 Almost like for Emily's reaction. And Emily just starts laughing. And so Holland starts laughing and it's like, is that not the most telling thing? Because if Emily had jumped up and been scared, she probably would have started crying. Yes. So funny. Speaker 2 Yes, it. Speaker 1 Is. It's is definitely harder as a mom than it is as a teacher. You know, you you have this, Adam, you know, the mom side and the teacher side. And so I'm always very calm at school and at home. I do find myself having to check myself in some of those reactions sometimes. Speaker 4 Yeah, well, she's got the Dana's got the poet's blood in her and she's got find it a little more. Speaker 2 As true Kelsey, who know me too well. So Carolyn, you were named Feisty Elementary Teacher of the Year and this was the second time that you were named that in with Feisty, is that correct? Correct. Okay. And so you advanced this past year in the spring of last year, you advanced. It's my understanding in Region four, there are 77,000 teachers in Region four, and you advance to the top five teachers in Region four. Speaker 4 Wow. Speaker 2 Five of 7000. Doesn't that like deserve, I don't know a good one. Speaker 4 Wound applause. Speaker 2 Applied to this amazing amazing. So tell I know that is a laborious process. Speaker 1 It is you get nominated and then they award you with all kinds of essays, too, right. Speaker 2 So this might me a boo. Speaker 4 Yeah, I know. I don't know that we have a full on here. Yes, we'll create one. Speaker 2 Yeah, it's really tough. It's not an easy process At. Speaker 1 The same time. Such an honor. It's such an honor. And it's time to really reflect and put some of those best practices in writing and some You don't always take time to reflect. So it also gave me some some really nice reflection time as well. Speaker 2 So you made it into the top five of Region four. So obviously congratulations with that. If you were chosen, a lot of people may not know this, but if you actually move on and you go to it goes to top in the United States, Right. If you actually chosen, there are those people that win that you take off and you travel all around and you become a speaker. Speaker 2 Right? Is it for a year? Speaker 1 An entire year, next year? Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 4 It's almost like a like a miss America type thing where you kind of have that role. Speaker 2 Right? Speaker 4 You're Teacher of the year. Speaker 2 Yeah. You kind of go around traveling and speaking about being teacher of the year because there are so many companies that want to hear, wow. Yeah, it's a pretty amazing thing. So if you would have made it that far, who would you use? What would have been your platform? Gosh. Speaker 1 Relationships. Teaching is hard. Education is really hard right now. It's hard in Friendswood, it's hard in Texas, it's hard in the nation. And it seems to be getting harder and harder every year. And so what keeps quality teachers are relationships amongst teachers. And so really my platform would be how to develop that and what what do you need to have a good relationship with a teacher and what does that look like more importantly, relationships of students. Speaker 1 I don't always know that teachers really, truly recognize how much power they have over students and really a power to grow students or power to really crush students. Yeah, And sometimes teachers get get really wrapped up in the and the behaviors and not really understanding always that those behaviors are a way to communicate. Something's not right. Something's going on. Speaker 1 And those kids that are just the hardest to love need to be loved the most. And so really relationships with with coworkers and relationships with students would really be what I think is is most important to talk about. Speaker 4 When you wrote your Chicken Soup article, too, you kind of discussed that like that. You called Westwood your family. So how have you maintained and really built upon relationships that you have at Westwood? Speaker 1 Well, Westwood is definitely my family. My real family lives in Canada, and so I don't get to see them very often. I have a very tiny, tiny family and it's exciting. My mom's actually in town right now, and it's the first time I've seen her in five years. Oh, my. Speaker 4 Goodness. Speaker 1 And so really, Westwood has become my family, very blessed with an administrator, two administrators who not only say, here are your students and here's what you need to do, but how's it going? What do you need? I was telling a story a little earlier. I started teaching and friends with many, many years ago. And as a single mom, my car broke and the next thing you know, I had my vice principal over at my house working on my alternator. Speaker 1 And so. Speaker 2 Mr. Wet was. Speaker 4 Like, he would hate having his name mentioned. Speaker 2 If you have not listened to our podcast with Lee Whitlock, last year. Speaker 4 It was, Oh, keeping your keeping the oatmeal bowl clean. Speaker 2 Yes, keeping your bowl clean right. He's so good. He's so. Speaker 4 So of course, we're not nearly as eloquent with our words stranger calling somewhere like we're saying. But he's he is amazing. Speaker 1 He absolutely is. And well, and then, Miss Moffitt, you know, gosh, staffing has been a. Speaker 2 Huge, huge. Speaker 1 Difficult area for all of Texas friends. Word getting set up. So any parents listening to this, if you want to stop, it's review always needs good sense. I've never had an administrator that steps out of her office and becomes a sub and she's, you know, teach us groups of kids, but she also helps with inclusion support. She also helps really differentiating for our students. Speaker 1 And so when you have that philosophy of we're all in it together and we're helping each other out with our jobs and our personal life, that really does trickle down and change the climate on a campus. And that's what brought me back to Friendswood. I learned so much from other districts, but there was a reason why I came back here. Speaker 2 And you talked about So what makes a not just Teacher of the Year a good, solid quality teacher. You you mentioned relationships you think is important. What are some other ingredients that you think really make up a strong teacher. Speaker 1 A strong teacher and a strong leader? I was giggling. We were sitting with teachers and in walks Lauren Ambo at our meeting yesterday and the joke was Lauren could ask us to, you know, twirl three times and stand on our heads and we would say, sure, Kristen Moffitt could do the same thing. And we would say, sure, because they will never ask us to do something that they haven't done themselves if we're having to stay late, working there, staying late, working as well, right alongside of us. Speaker 1 And so I think that's really important at school. If I'm going in and visiting with teachers and asking teachers to stay late to differentiate or to stay late and visit on kids, if I'm see you later and out the door while they're still at school working that that's hard. That's really hard. And so that relationship piece but that piece of I'm in it with you and I'm working just as hard as you, some of our paraprofessionals, you know, have to change the diapers and the teachers that go in and do that as well. Speaker 1 So it's no my job, your job. But kids are our job. And whatever the kids need we do. Speaker 2 Teachers is one. It's just one of those that's one of those professions that I just don't sing and listen. That's what any profession. You don't realize how hard it is to be a fireman. Unless you're a fireman, you don't realize how hard it is to be a you name it, you know, unless you go through it and do it. Speaker 2 Teachers are one of those that, you know, it's just not an 8 to 4 job, you know, 9 to 5, whatever numbers you want to put in there, it's it is constant. And when you're at home, if you're not working on your lessons or grading papers or really stressing about for me, whether I was a teacher or an assistant principal, I spend a lot of time stressing about those kids. Speaker 2 I didn't feel like I could reach. Absolutely. And it's just it weighs on you and it's you know, it's a struggle and it's I think I believe I truly believe teachers are called to this profession. And just like a pastor would be called to a church, you are in a profession of service. And, you know, it's a it's a tough role. Speaker 2 I just want to encourage parents, continue to work with your teachers, continue to There are so many times that parents, you know, something may be going on at home and they're like, I didn't know if I should reach out and talk to the teacher about that and what should stay private and what should stay. I'm here to tell you parents, the more you can reach out to your teacher and let them know some struggles that your kids, your families are going through, the more it's not that your kid would be treated differently, it's just the teacher would be aware of it. Speaker 1 Absolutely. Speaker 2 You know, or your counselor on your campus, reach out, let your counselor know so your counselor can be meeting with your your child. Or if they're positive, you know, always say maybe the negatives or the stressors. But if there are some really positive family celebrations happening, your teachers want to know about that as well. And they can celebrate that as their family on campus, because you do become classrooms, become families. Speaker 1 Absolutely. And we want to grow kids. And the best way to do that is when we do it all together. So that communication is just so vital. Absolutely. Speaker 2 So, Carolyn, who was who's a role model for you in your life? Speaker 1 Gosh, I've had lots of role models. This was actually a question that was asked during the region for interviews. I came to Texas from Canada when I was right before I started high school. So a really hard, formative time. And I was the quiet one. Kind of sat at the back was the one that kind of disappeared. But I was also a dancer and I had a dance teacher. Speaker 1 Ian Leffler, who really took me under his wing and built that relationship. He just didn't teach me dance. But he wanted to know how my day was, and he wanted to know the good parts and the struggles. He was the one that coached me on real life situations. He also knew that sometimes, you know, brand new school, brand new community. Speaker 1 It was Galveston. I needed something to do after school. And so he made sure that I came in and help teach some of the younger dancers. And to this day, I still keep in touch. We drove to Colorado and visited him a few years ago and he remains just such a strong role model, the struggles that he's gone through and his reaction to those struggles is just so, so admiring. Speaker 2 That's wonderful that you still keep in touch with Ryan. Speaker 4 And I love that it was a teacher and and of course, you talk now about how that's something that you think is is so important for all teachers to have, but specifically yourself is to have those relationships. And the fact that it all pretty much started with a teacher who took the went the extra mile to make that relationship with you is pretty awesome. Speaker 2 So what's on your plate right now as a teacher or even as a mom, or what are some things that are on your plate right now that what, it's November, October people may not know this October is one of those months for all schools. You see a lot of discipline problems in October. Some districts would say it's their highest discipline month, which kind of always surprises me over May. Speaker 2 I would think April May would be bad, but October is really tough. Speaker 1 All the candy. Speaker 2 Oh, sure. Yeah, Maybe that's what it is. Yeah. What's on your plate right now? What, are you excited about? What are you working on? Speaker 1 So things are really rocking at at Westwood and really in special education in the whole state of Texas, in the whole nation. I was looking through my daughter's old yearbooks. She went to Westwood and was looking at some of our three and four year old classes, and once upon a time we had a teacher. It was Rachel Chapman back in the day and she was our Pepcid teacher back then and had three, four and five year olds. Speaker 1 And at the start of the year we would have two or three kids and by the end of the year we would have six kids and those would be classes. And it has completely morphed into this year. We've had two hire a new teacher after the first couple of weeks of school for our four year olds. So we have three full four year old classes now. Speaker 1 Wow. And we have some specialized classes. There's three specialized classes, one for three year olds and two for four year olds. Once upon a time, all of that could be combined. And those classrooms are growing so quickly, the Friendswood has had to respond. We've had to hire a new teacher after the first couple of weeks. There's a new para opening that's posted right now for our three year old class. Speaker 1 So Friendswood is trying to be really responsive. We've had a great grant that our special Education department wrote for our acquiring social development, but it seems like no matter how fast we're hiring teachers and how fast for growing, it's not fast enough. You know, they say the average is 15 kids on a caseload. And in the state of Texas, for me, for Friendswood, it's double that. Speaker 1 And every year, no matter how many teachers we hire and how fast we grow, we don't seem like we can keep up. And so that's on my plate right now is just a lot of students that I need to make sure are getting that is getting that quality specialized instruction. Our LSP and our Diags are just working just relentlessly to get the evaluations complete, but it's a lot. Speaker 1 And finding that that homeschool balance right now is a whole, whole lot. And so that's what keeps me up at night, is just making sure, even though we're growing so fast, that I'm really doing my due diligence and in supporting those students. And it's hard and then finding that balance to spend time with my daughter, who's a senior this year. Speaker 1 And so that's exciting. Yeah, we've had winter formal coming up, so our dress shopping for that and you know, the AP tests and we're getting the college acceptance letters and so some, some struggles just because our our population and and our needs are growing so quickly. But then also some celebrations on the other side of that. Speaker 2 That's wonderful. Where's your daughter? Where would she like to go to college? Speaker 1 She wants to go to Baylor. Her. But I'm a single second year, so I'm like, you know. Speaker 2 Yeah, no kidding. Keep our scholarship scholarships. Yeah. Speaker 1 So she's applying. We went to Florida and she really liked the beach. Now she thinks she needs to go to Florida to be by the beach. And I'm trying to tell her that's not how you pick colleges. So that's still a continued conversation. But, yeah, she's she's gotten into four schools. She's still waiting to hear from A&M and Baylor and a a school in Florida. Speaker 1 And then we'll do that that scholarship side of who offers. Speaker 2 Well one thing I didn't know, my stepsons continue to apply for scholarships even after the start of the year. So all throughout the year, they continue to apply for scholarships and randomly throughout the year, they would receive scholarships. Speaker 1 Didn't know that. Speaker 2 Yes, your daughter's loving me for this, but have her continue to apply for scholarships even during the year, even while she's at college. All four years continue to. Speaker 4 Change departments give out a lot of scholarships to within the department. Yeah I'm I would totally. Speaker 1 Encourage right to know I really thought there was a cut off and she likes to write essays and she thinks it's fun. Speaker 2 So she should be. Speaker 4 Oh my God, this is all to get with you to for this about a scholarship I got whenever I was a senior in high school that I was the only one to apply for. So if it's that way. Speaker 2 I sort of so many millions of scholarships go. Speaker 4 Yeah, it was for like the bar association. I don't remember which one, but anyway, yes, we'll have. Speaker 1 To talk for sure. Speaker 4 Yes, it's the only one. So really good chances there. Speaker 1 Yeah, absolutely. Speaker 2 That's awesome. Okay, so this is just the part of it. Just random questions that I like to ask. And listen, you don't you don't have to know the questions necessarily. So it's just whatever comes. Speaker 4 Yes. Speaker 2 Off the top of your head, I cannot be Mr. Whitlock and pass on any other questions. That's not allowed. I didn't think I'd have to come up with that rule. Speaker 4 But he made his own. He made his own rules that day. Speaker 2 So Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Tell us something that you're thankful for. Speaker 1 Oh, gosh. So many things. Community education, being able to provide another source of income for my college student. Really? You know, I've talked a whole lot about Ali, but gosh, it's such a fun time right now. She's going from that that kid to the look at all of these ideas I have and the potential I have. And, you know, as she's getting excited about her next step is really sad, but really, really exciting for me as well. Speaker 1 And so really, to have that that flip side and she's she's a good kiddo. And so she's made being a mom easy. So I don't have to do a lot of that discipline. I just get to do a lot of the celebration and kind of the stage of her life. Speaker 2 Well, that speaks a lot towards you. And it sounds like the relationship that you have with your daughter and I've heard nothing but great things about your daughter, how responsible she is. I know Britney talked about how I don't think she was her intern, but she really it was just volunteer hours. Speaker 4 After 200. Was it 170 cash out? Speaker 1 I look at her resume and I can't keep up. She started. I might have been 170. She's had 200 and some one year. She volunteers for three little parties. She started a kind of like a bunny brigade. And so she called some local schools and talked to the counselors and adopted kids that might not get Easter baskets and raised money. Speaker 2 And God put it. Speaker 1 Together and delivered. So. Speaker 4 Right. Y'all are not going to have to worry about scholarships like she's going to get everything. Oh, my gosh. Like, how do you come up with a better human being? Speaker 1 So I don't I don't remember how many. But again, she told Britney she's like, I want to be a volunteer, but I've done it for lots of years, so let me be in charge. And so Brittany was able to give her some some leadership opportunities. Speaker 2 So we need to make sure we tap into her for our day of service in April. Absolutely. Maybe she could have we could have her meet with some groups to really get them. Speaker 4 That would be awesome. I'm sure she would already have some great ideas of things to do. Yeah, that's awesome. Speaker 2 Oh, good. We need to provide ideas. Oh, that's awesome. Speaker 4 People are like, reminding me of, like, I love Gilmore Girls of, like, Lorelai and Rory and like, oh my gosh, this is the most precious thing in the world. I love it. The real life. Yes. Speaker 2 So in your Chicken Soup story, you mentioned that you set goals at the beginning of each year. What is a goal that you have for 2023? Oh, gosh. Speaker 1 Personally, I've really enjoyed having my mom here and I am really bad about tels. I am not that that's pick up the phone and let's call on that. Relationships take time, right? And So with my mom being here and us being able to reconnect and really be part of each other's lives, finding a way to to do that more regularly, we have the technology. Speaker 1 You know, it's and even though I don't love it, it's it's so important so personally really making the time to to really build that that quality relationship the connection even though she's in Canada even more so important professionally. I you know resource inclusion teacher and I do spend a lot of time with my groups outside of the classroom and we have some truly amazing teachers. Speaker 1 And so really pushing into the classroom more and working alongside the teachers, somehow finding the time for that. That's something that's really important to me that I'll be working on. Carving out. Speaker 2 My mother loves me, but I face time. She denies my call. Speaker 4 Oh my gosh, our mother's not the worst. With that. Speaker 2 She will not face time that. Speaker 1 I. I'm not a face time, Fanny. She's like, you know. Speaker 2 Not doing it. Speaker 4 Oh, my God. Speaker 2 You can't. You can't tell your daughter you're not. No, She says no, not face timing. Speaker 4 Now, see, my mom doesn't have an iPhone, so, like, I can't face. I'm her. But even, like, she'll call me, I barely don't get to the phone, Mr. Call. I call her back immediately. She won't answer. Speaker 2 Yeah, that's a common. When I like the phone are like, How does this happen? Speaker 4 Possible. The phone isn't still in your hand. Oh, I get very offended by it. Oh, that's so funny. I asked my mom to hang out too, and she'll reject me. I'm like, No. Excuse me. I feel like this should be the other way around. Mom, if you're listening. What? You're probably not saying No. Speaker 2 No rejection. Speaker 4 Another rejection. Not listening to them, I guess. Speaker 2 Okay, so if you could not do what you do, what would you do? Speaker 1 We, my daughter and I will well sit in the car and drive. We love road trips and we've driven to Canada. We've driven back. So lots of time for a good talking. And one time we were talking it was, So what would you do if you would win that billion dollars? Speaker 2 Right. I love this question. Speaker 1 And so I have always had a dream. I went to Las Vegas once and I don't remember what resort it is. Maybe Caesars, but the one where you walk in and you're inside, but you feel like you're outside. You look up and there's the clouds. Caesars Palace at Caesars. And so when I started, before I became a teacher, I was in social work and geriatrics and I thought it would be so neat to have just this huge building that's a safe community within a community and having all of the little tiny homes and sites, everyone could have their own little house and you could decorate it from the decade that made them comfortable. Speaker 1 There is something in Switzerland and I've looked at and it looks really neat, but then having the collaboration of, you know, you can't get employees so hard, but having a little school for the employee kids and having a park in the middle so some of the elderly could listen to the kids laugh. Speaker 2 And plus. Speaker 1 That keeps you young. And, you know, with my daughter's passion for the animals, having a little rescue dog, having our own, you know, golden retriever lab that we have at Friendswood, but having a at a community like that. So I just would think would be so much fun to just have a whole community of support for some of our elderly that's this hard for people. Speaker 4 I am fully invested in this idea that this needs to happen. I would. Speaker 2 Move to that ranch or whatever we. Speaker 4 Call it, except 25 years. You can have your own little tiny house. I know I would love it. I know we have a 55 plus community across the street from us. I'm like, I swear I would live there if they allowed me. And like, I think I would drive. Speaker 1 I love, I would love I love that community. Just as much as my little community and resource. Not much. But gosh, I would have to win the lottery to do something. Speaker 2 So I actually have heard of stories where senior citizen homes, they give free rent to college kids that come in, Oh my goodness, the retirement center, because they interact with the kids and it's just like free service. And college kids need a free place to stay. So it's not a great idea. Speaker 4 That's a great idea. Oh, my gosh. And then the college students learn from sources. Speaker 2 Yes. We do not tap into our seniors enough. No, I'm a true believer in that. So, Carolyn, I'm going to end with this last question that normally does not go very well. And it's you haven't even seen it. So there it doesn't go well. Well, let's see how you do. So finish this sentence. Speaker 1 And I. Speaker 2 Pass. No, no. Speaker 4 On your. I feel like you'll answer this. Yeah, you'll do well easily. Speaker 2 One thing I know for sure is. Speaker 1 One thing I know for sure. Well, that is not easy. Like you said, it's hard. Because when I think I know something for sure, that's normally what I don't know very much about it at all. Because the things that you're sure on are the things that I don't think I know for sure is in regards to school that I am making a difference with kids and that I have some good quality relationships with our community members. Speaker 2 I'm glad that you believe that you're making a difference, because I think that if if teachers believed that they were making the difference, that they're making, like you said, teachers don't understand their power. They don't understand their influence a lot of times in the classroom. And if all teachers did understand that they're making a difference, what a transformation, this world, you know, what it would make in this world and in their own community. Speaker 2 So I know that you do make a difference. You don't get Teacher of the Year without making a difference. We appreciate you coming in, talking us, talking with us today. And what a beautiful just source of knowledge that you are for a district. What a beautiful example that you are for, not only for our district, for your daughter. Speaker 2 It was an absolute pleasure getting to visit with you today. Speaker 1 Thank you. Yeah, thank you. I appreciate. Speaker 2 It. Okay. Have a good day. Thank you.