CLAUDE, TEXAS -- You've heard Pronews 7 talking about the TAKS test all week.
But now we're going to tell you about one school district that is allowing their teachers to let loose for the sake of helping students. Teachers from Claude Independent School District have put their best dance moves on video to help lessen the pressure on their students. Pronews 7 is featuring their efforts in this week's Region 16 Spotlight Education Report.
Leading with the "Cotton Eye Joe", a group of enthusiastic teachers had a great time busting a move all to encourage their kids and ease their TAKS test stress.
"We like to do these things for the kids because we hope that it takes some of the pressure and stress off of the whole TAKS situation and so we like to do this for them hoping they enjoy getting together and giving these things for them," said Joyce Grange, 2nd grade teacher at Claude Elementary.
"We had a lot of fun, I mean not that we're not the best dancers by any means and so I guess that made it a lot more fun for us because we were laughing at ourselves," added Grange.
Last school year and this year, teachers put their best moves to music and video. Tuesday morning before kicking off TAKS, students ate breakfast at the school and then an assembly was held. Students, elementary to high school, then watched the video. Superintendent Toby Tucker is the brain child behind the video's and says it's a great way to help students relieve some stress.
"This year we did "Evolution to Dance" so there's probably 50 different songs in it. Basically, I show up with a camera and a lap top they get to see the dance they have about 3 minutes to figure it out they do it. They're good sports about, it's a lot of fun and our kids just love it," said Toby Tucker, Claude ISD Superintendent.
For students, it's something they say they look forward to and it helps put their nerves at ease.
"It just let me know that my teachers really care about us and that we have a great staff teaching us and they thought we were prepared and going to do good on the test," said Hayden Sanders, Claude High School Sophomore.
Claude IDS rocks the TAKS
