Mr. Talty is the teacher that every student deserves. When I arrived at his classroom accompanied by two polite students, the all-boy 4th grade class was engaged in a lesson that required them to stand each time they wished to volunteer an answer. As I wheeled my bike into the room I got some curious glances but as soon as I pulled out my SFT map, the students were utterly engaged. Q&A could have lasted forever with this class!

Lunchtime was up next and the boys couldn’t stop whispering questions to me during our walk through the hallway. As the students picked up their lunches Mr. Talty informed me that the school has a 98% free/reduced rate which means that almost every student eats the cafeteria’s meals. The school also participates in Farm to School which allows it to serve Carolina-sourced produce as often as possible.

After lunch we headed out to the garden, which Mr. Talty runs, where he explained how he integrates the garden and its produce into his lessons. He has been encouraging other teachers to utilize this great resource and says that their receptiveness is hit or miss. We agreed that it’s important for educators to have ample resources available when introducing new strategies to their instruction.

We had just enough time for recess before it was time for me to hit the road. Thank you to Cherrydale and Mr. Talty’s class for a great visit!