Kacy Hilliard, a second year teacher at Troy Elementary teaches fourth grade and her classroom has undergone a transformation thanks to a Troy Education Enhancement Foundation (TEEF) grant this year.

Hilliard was inspired by the book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl.  The book, which was part of a school-wide book study last year, highlighted, “the importance of giving students an environment suited to building their confidence to engage in their own learning” Hilliard shared.

The grant aims to create a “Thinking Classroom” where students feel more involved and excited to learn each day. Mrs. Hilliard also shared, “I wanted to design an environment that resets their minds and helps them focus more on classroom activities rather than outside distractions.”

The impact of this grant is already evident. Students are more engaged in lessons, and data reveals an improvement in topic comprehension compared to last year’s test results. With flexible seating arrangements now in place, approximately 115 fourth-grade students are benefiting from an environment tailored to foster active learning and increased focus.

TEEF aims to help and provide philanthropic support to promote excellence in teaching and to inspire student learning through faculty and staff enrichment. Troy ISD is grateful for teachers who continue to look for ways to empower students' potential for success and for TEEF’s commitment to contributing to the success of both students and staff through grants like this.