National Board Certified teacher Holly Leigh Wallace has developed and implemented a writing curriculum that has consistently resulted in her students scoring first in the state, as measured by the FCAT writing scores in the state of Florida. Sharing her curriculum has become a passion, as she trains teachers throughout the state and district to become writing experts themselves. Having recently obtained certification in Common Formative Assessments and Engaging Classroom Assessments, Holly has coached her colleagues through alignment of the Common Core State Standards, classroom instruction and assessments. Most recently, Holly has presented her expertise of the engineering process for elementary students at the National Science Teacher's Association national STEM conference. Promoting critical thinking and mastery of standards-based content through hands-on investigations, Mrs. Wallace has nurtured her students' excitement of science and engineering through an authentic learning experience which matches her students to elderly and disabled members of her school's urban neighborhood. Originally funded by the Milken Foundation for Youth, this experience leads students through a process in which they develop a beautification plan for the neighbors’ homes. The experience culminates on Martin Luther King Day when up to 900 volunteers gather at the elderlies’ homes and serve by making the beautification plans a reality.
Transitions to Writing, Common Formative Assessments, Engaging Classroom Assessments
