Spotlight 4 Success
We're shining a light on education success stories and talking about current trends and topics of importance to the education community. Join us in conversation!
Spotlight 4 Success
Remember, Honor & Teach: The Three Pillars That Heal
The power of remembrance takes on new meaning in this touching conversation with Cindy Tatum of Wreaths Across America. After 26 years teaching at Milan High School, Tatum found an unexpected second calling that combines her educational expertise with a deeply personal mission. As a Gold Star mother who lost her son, Corporal Daniel Lee Tatum, USMC, on December 24, 2007, she brings heartfelt understanding to her role developing curriculum for an organization dedicated to honoring those who served.
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company. I'm Devin Pintosi, your host, and today we are joined at Tennessee Council of Social Studies in Gatlinburg, tennessee, by Cindy Tatum. Cindy Tatum with Wreaths Across America Welcome Well. Thank you so much, cindy. Tell us a little bit about what brings you to TCSS.
Speaker 2:Absolutely I'd be happy to. I taught school for 26 years.
Speaker 1:Where did you teach?
Speaker 2:I taught at Milan High School in Milan, tennessee. Go Bulldogs, you're the best there we go.
Speaker 2:Got to get a little plug in for them, and so, when I retired in 2020, I was contacted by the executive director of Wreaths Across America, and she knew that I was a teacher and they were wanting to develop the teach part of the Wreaths Across America mission. Their mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom, and so their entire lesson plan stockpile consisted of one eighth grade lesson plan at the time, and so, anyway, I told her, I said, well, let me think about it. You tell me what you envision and then you know, we'll get together and kind of see if I can help you out some. And so we gave ourselves about I guess, two months for me to kind of wrap my head around the things that she that I thought she might be wanting in these lesson plans, and, of course, one of the things that she really wanted to see was to be able to have lesson plans that included things like character development and service to community, and so, anyway, each of the lesson plans that we have, that have been developed now over the last several years, are available free for educators.
Speaker 2:They can either go to the Wreaths Across America website and download those materials for free, or they can go on Teachers, pay Teachers and download the materials for free also. But the lesson plans really do cover a very wide range of topics and subjects and things like that. For example, the fourth Thursday in March is the commemoration of the Tuskegee Airmen, and so we have just released lesson plans for grades K through 8 that talk about the struggles of the Tuskegee Airmen, not only in battle and fighting the enemy, but also in fighting the discrimination and segregation that they faced in the military and at home, and so we feel like those are very valuable types of lessons to put out there for our young people today, simply because you know, these are people that overcame a great deal of adversity and so, if we can kind of say, hey, if they could do it, you can do it.
Speaker 1:Ah, there you go.
Speaker 2:And so we try to focus a lot of those lesson plans that are developed. Like I said, we have a wide range, everything from Women's History Month Amelia Earhart, you know and Sedona Truth, and just a lot of different types of things. There are lesson plans for Veterans Day, for Women's History Month, for Black History Month, martin Luther King Day, you know. Just a wide range of materials.
Speaker 3:At American Book Company in Woodstock, georgia, we are committed to your students' success. As you can see behind me, we have our workbooks and we have online testing and e-books that go on fancy iPads over here, for instance. They're all designed to help your students succeed and have higher test scores on their high-stakes assessments. Give us a call 888-264-5877, or find us on the web, abck12.com, and you can receive a free trial or a free preview book of your choice. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye, bye.
Speaker 1:Oh, that is fantastic. And so what brought you about the passion to be part of Reeds Across America and what do you feel about the mission?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely Well, my son, corporal Daniel Lee Tatum, united States Marine Corps, died on December, the 24th 2007. And so I had met Karen Wooster at other types of activities that really kind of focused on the Gold Star community and for those of you listeners that don't know, the Gold Star is generally the title is reserved for those who have had their loved ones killed while they were in the service to our country. So I knew Karen from that and, of course, with you know, being a teacher for so long myself, just the entire idea that you would focus not only on remembering, you know and honoring, but the teach component of it, and I think that's so important and it spoke to me personally. And so when she talked to me and said, hey, how about you know, it was a win for me. Like I said, I spent 26 years in the classroom and a year after I had gone home I was just sitting there kind of going golly.
Speaker 2:I miss being there and I miss the kids and I still do miss the students.
Speaker 2:I think that I was talking to a couple of teachers earlier and they said well, you know, golly, I can't wait until I can retire. And I said, hmm, wait until you retire to say that you know, I think you know, teachers will tell you. I mean, obviously you don't do it for the money, you know. So you have to do it because you believe that you're going to make a difference and that you believe that you can help to encourage the next generation of Americans. That's important.
Speaker 1:That is so important. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. We always honor the fallen and really appreciate the sacrifice of all citizens and your son, and so appreciate that. You know, because of that we can be free. So that's so important and Reeds Across America. What a wonderful organization that remembers so many people that gave all for us. Yes, Members, so many people that gave all for us.
Speaker 2:Yes, and you know I mentioned a little bit earlier about the millions of volunteers you and I were talking and out of those millions of volunteers, one-third of those millions, about one million of those people who volunteer, are children. Wow, and I have had the opportunity to be at Arlington National Cemetery on the day that they were laying the wreaths and it's amazing that you see all of these parents coming in and they're bringing kids. You know that range in age from three to, you know, 18.
Speaker 3:Boy.
Speaker 2:Scout troops, girl Scout troops, you know just across the board. Just a lot of children and what a great thing to teach young people.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's so wonderful. That's so wonderful. Cindy, it was such a pleasure speaking with you today.
Speaker 2:Thank you very much, I've enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. This is Cindy Tatum with Reads Across America. Check her out, or you can find out more about how you can participate with Wreaths Across Memoir and the curriculum development services that you offer by going to was it Wreaths?
Speaker 2:Yes, you can go to wwwwreathsacrossamericaorg backslash teach.
Speaker 1:There we go. Very simple. Thank you so much, Cindy. You have a wonderful rest of the conference and thank you for participating. Simple, Thank you so much, Cindy. You have a wonderful rest of the conference and thank you for participating today.
Speaker 2:Thank you.