Lisa Collum is not your average mother. She’s taught writing for 10 years and saw a big need for teachers and students as the curriculum was not where it needed to be for a crucial subject for students.
“There was a little book on details, little book on paragraphs, but nothing I could follow to teach the kids everything they needed for that year,” Collum said.
After a few years of trial and error, Collum developed a new curriculum called Top Score.
“It has the lessons, activities that go with lessons,” said the former Palm Beach County instructor. “It has extra resources for kids that could be struggling, kids that need enrichment that are high achievers.”
Top Score also prepares students for the school year, and beyond. Collum's curriculum is now in several schools across the states, and she's giving writing teachers a breath of fresh air with a new curriculum.
“I like the fact that it's structured for us, it's given to us, and I like the fact that we can be creative with it as well and pull from what we already know and to what the curriculum is bringing,” said Larae Pisano, a fourth grade teacher being trained in the course.
For Collum, she says making a difference in the lives of students humbles her -but it’s all about making sure every child is prepared for not only school.
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“Whatever you learn, you're going to use it in elementary, middle, high school, and possibly a job in the future,” Collum said.
