Teacher of the Year Award 2016 SurveyMonkey

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Q1: Nominee's Name: Tammie Evans

Q2: PROGRAM FEATURESDescribe the unique and outstanding features of the nominee’s special education program. Ms. Evans' special education program currently has 11 students ranging from 5th grade through 12th grade plus one 18+ student ("Tatum University student"). The students in her classroom have a variety of disabilities including autism, intellectually deficient, other health impairment, and emotional disturbance. Ms. Evans' instruction in the classroom is then expanded into the community where her students have experiences and opportunities to work on life skills such as communication, money/budgets, vocabulary, and goal setting/planning.

Each month her class has a luncheon and Snack Pass sale. Students go out into the community and school and take pre-orders. They work together to make a shopping list. Every one works together when shopping, loading/unloading the cart and school bus, preparing the food and making deliveries. Students help sort, count, and make deposits. The have averaged about $1000.00 each month with the monthly luncheon and Snack Pass sale.

Last year, students worked hard all year and met their goal of $12,000.00. Students and one family member experienced a very memorable trip to San Antonio, Texas. Students/parents experienced traveling to a major city, staying overnight in a hotel, traveling by school bus, street car, and city bus (several modes of transportation). They went to Morgan's Wonderland, Sea World, and had a private tour by a boat taxi on the River Walk. Students enjoyed Mexican cuisine. Vocabulary they had discussed during Hispanic Heritage Month came to life as they were serenaded by a mariachi band, who wore traditional clothing and sombreros.

In May 2016, the students met their goal again this year and will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana. They will get to experience the Audubon Zoo, the Insectarium, Aquarium, the national World War II Museum, and travel by boat aboard the Natchez up the Mississippi River. Geography, History, and Science will come to life for Ms. Evans' students in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Other day trips the students have taken include: Riding the Amtrak train to Dallas Riding the Polar Express in Palestine, Texas Touring the Texas and Louisiana Tourist Bureaus Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas Discovery Science Place in Tyler, Texas

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Q3: IMPACTDescribe impact of the nominee’s leadership on students, district/SSA and community. Through social media, the local community, volunteers, and parents, Ms. Evans' students have been blessed to have many exciting opportunities. Her hope is that by providing her students with many opportunities to experience various places and extend their learning, they will continue to become more social and confident to become gainfully employed in an area that best brings out their own strengths and talents.

Ms. Evans does not miss an opportunity to point out employment opportunities for her students when they graduate while they are taking the community-based trips. She believes that there is a job in the community for each of her students.

The students in Ms. Evans' class are an integral part of the campus. The students in the general education classes often want to know how can they be a part of Ms. Evans' class. Her class (grades 9-12) participates in a Prom for special needs students, and they each bring a "date/buddy" from the high school campus. This Prom is during the school day. All students involved looked forward to attending this special event. Another activity the class participates in is the "Sarah Murphy Invitational Field Day" hosted by Henderson ISD ( the only district in Rusk County that is a single member district of the 8 districts in the county) Again "buddies" are assigned to each student for the events. Everyone looks forward to these two events each year.

She is more than willing to share ideas with other life skills teachers within our SSA.

Q4: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTList dates and types of professional activities/organizations (presentations, offices held, publications, etc.); civic/community involvement; professional growth activities undertaken for improvement of program/professional skills. Professional Development:

Classroom 360 Autism Teacher Training July 14-17, 2014

Classroom Programming August 7, 2014

LID/Life Skills Modules 2014-2015 September 9, 2014

Boardmaker Basics for the LID/Life Skills Teachers September 15, 2014

2014-2015 STAAR Alternate Overview September 25, 2014

Classroom Programming October 1, 2014

PECS Level 1 Training November 13 & 14, 2014

Professional Organization:

Texas Classroom Teachers Association

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Q5: LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESSDescribe how the nominee’s skills and talents facilitate positive attitudes for change, promote positive staff relationships, promote integration of students with disabilities, and how the nominee’s leadership/advocacy efforts have resulted in improved services for students with disabilities. Ms. Evans collaborates with multi-campus administrators and teachers in the general education setting to find "jobs" for her students. She has students who are involved in extracurricular activities and activities around the campuses. You can tell by her enthusiasm for teaching that she loves her students and feels that each one is a blessing to teach.

By participating in "real life" experiences, the students are better able to connect classroom learning to life experiences outside the classroom.

Q6: AWARDS AND HONORSProvide any awards or honors that the nominee has received that are pertinent to this award. 2012-2013 Tatum Primary Teacher of the Year (as a Kindergarten teacher)

2014-2015 Tatum Middle School Teacher of the Year (as a Life Skills teacher)

Q7: ENDORSEMENTS:Please compile three to five I will send the required letters of endorsement by the single-page letters of endorsement for the award, and award nomination deadline (May 18). send them all together in a single e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line: award nomination. Please include the nominee’s last name or district name in the body of the e-mail.

Q8: REGION 7

Q9: Form completed by: Name (first, last) Cindy Smith District Rusk County Shared Services Arrangement E-mail address [email protected] Telephone number 903-657-9761

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