>> Clear Creek, I think, is a very special campus. We have special students, special teachers with heart.
>> So Killeen ISD is the 24th largest district in the State of Texas, and one of the fourth most diverse.
>> Clear Creek Elementary is on Ford Hood Military Base, so most of our students have at least one parent in the Army, if not two. >> Our campus, we house mostly military students. We have a revolving door.
>> That kind of worked out perfect, because I retired here at Fort Hood, so I worked with military kids. I know what they went through, because I had two daughters.
>> What I get back from my students is so much more than what I give to them. Teaching them and seeing them understand things, and seeing them get excited and motivated.
>> The biggest thing is, I get to see where their biggest gaps are, so I can figure out where I can help them the most.
>> It started with a platform for teachers to have options. Most importantly for us is the quality of materials, the quality of the text, the tools that are included with that text.
>> They never go, "Err, Learning A through Z again" -- never.
>> I love the fact that I can try to instill the love of reading into my students. Reading A to Z does help that, because it's very motivational.
>> Usually students are working on leveling up, and they've really enjoyed seeing that they're earning more badges and more stars for the books that they're getting over. And that is so versatile that even though everyone's not on the same reading level, they can always find something that they enjoy to read.
I know that I can always go find something for science. I can definitely find things for social studies, but also incorporate all of the different strategies that we're doing in reading. So I do love that I can always get, like, a three-for-one special.
>> We actually did use some stuff through Learning A through Z, through science, too, the earth, sun and moon.
>> The use that you can get out of it for the upper grades, especially when you're integrating science and social studies into your reading time, because we don't have much time to teach that -- that's that amazing thing, that Reading A to Z allows us to do.
>> Let's say you're struggling finding something to work on for science. Type in what you're looking for; let's say you were just talking about the solar system, there's questions that are generated, already there for you. You can use some of the close reading materials that's there. But you can project it, you can do whatever you need to do to make sure the students are getting what they need.
>> Some memorable moments would probably be when Clear Creek won first place at the Science Olympiad competition. So that was amazing for us.
>> You know, how about last week, they all aced their science test. Every kid passed it, first-time go, so...
>> I think what I am most proud of as an educator this year is the hard work that our teachers put in every single day to help their students grow. They're building the future, and they realize that if they don't do it, who will?
