Carole Blair and Thelma Margulies
Cletis Tatum
Tonya Hall


Cletis Tatum lives and teaches in Texas.
She is a graduate of the 2001
ALMA National Training Institute.






Cletis incorporates TV411 into a two-day orientation program for new students. "The [TV411] videos are like hooks to grab the attention of students," she says. Of the nine hours of class time, about a half an hour is devoted to viewing TV411. Her objective is to make her students, all of whom have had negative experiences in traditional school settings, more successful learners by helping them discover their strengths and build confidence.

Cletis begins the orientation with a TV411 segment on multiple intelligences, hosted by ABC news anchor, Antonio Mora (Episode 18). This topic generates lively discussion, in which students identify their particular type of intelligence, be it verbal, spatial or musical. They come to see that school performance is not the only measure of intelligence.

Next, Cletis plays a segment on auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning styles and has her students complete a survey from TV411 In Print (Issue 3) that helps them determine their learning styles. That night for homework, the students give the survey to at least one friend or relative. These results inspire plenty of conversation the next morning.To teach time management skills, Cletis plays a segment in which a mother and her teenage daughter create a schedule that accommodates both work and play (Episode 15), and another in which WNBA Utah Starzz player and new mom, Olympia Scott Richardson, shares her strategies for getting things done (Episode 16). Cletis also relies on Milestones segments, such as the
profile of Dallas Farmer (Episode 1), which demonstrate the rewards of commitment and hard work.

Here are some pointers from Cletis about using TV411 in your classroom: