“Since we began the governor’s lottery funded Pre-K program in Knox County two years ago, our teachers have increasingly found a leadership role for our region and state. Michael’s presentation to a national audience is a real testimonial to the quality of our program and the people who make it happen."

Dr. Fred Nidiffer
Director of Elementary Education

Knox teacher to present at national early childhood education conference

Pre-K teacher Michael Brickell brings research to reality in his classroom at Sarah Moore Greene. He will share his highly successful techniques with other teachers from around the nation at the National Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference in Chicago November 7-10.

Michael Brickell, Pre-K teacher at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet School, has been chosen as a presenter for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference in Chicago, November 7-10. The conference is widely recognized as one of the most valuable professional development opportunities for educators of young children. The conference attracts 20,000 educators from across the country and around the world.

Brickell’s Pre-K program at Sarah Moore Greene is one of 13 Governor’s Voluntary Pre-K programs in Knox County Schools. The State Department of Education funds the teachers’ salaries. The Great Schools Partnership and United Way fund supplies and equipment.

“Mr. Brickell is an excellent pre-school teacher who is very caring and loving,” said George Ann Yarbro, principal at Sarah Moore Greene. His dedication to the students and the pre-K program for four year olds who are considered at-risk is reflected in his willingness to drive from Kingsport and back each day.

There are 16 children in Brickell’s class and a waiting list for the 2007-08 school year. Two have already applied  for the 2008-09 year.

Centers focus week-long activities around each book, developing literacy, social skills

Brickell’s key to inspiring the young students begins with his own passionate love of reading and creative writing. He had just finished his undergraduate degree in creative writing while his wife was finishing her Masters Degree in early childhood education. “I thought it would be interesting to learn about early childhood education,” said Brickell, “ so I participated in her classroom.”

That “interest’ has grown into a four year career, the last two of which have been spent at Sarah Moore Greene while his wife, Noelle,  teaches at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

At the national conference, Brickell will present “Pre-K Children Get Their Own Oprah Book Club” based on his “Busy Bee Book Club” and “Buddy Reading” program.

“I plan to show how we integrate as many things as we can in the Pre-K program,” said Brickell. “We have a dramatic play center, science, math, reading, writing, blocks, music, and manipulative centers as well as the book center.” 

Each book that the children read is involved in each center during the week. Of course, except for some key words they are learning, the four-year-olds don’t actually ‘read’ the books, but through the week’s activities, learn to appreciate the story, its characters, and to discover all the skills associated with the book.

“We read one book each week,” explains Brickell. “Each day we try to do something a little different. Puppets act out the story in the dramatic center; we create word cards for the reading center for words they are trying to read; we use memory skills to find characters.” On Fridays, students form “Buddy Book“  teams to re-tell the story to each other using the skills learned during the week. This enhances literacy skills, social interaction, and communication skills.

Teaching based on brain research, early childhood development

All of Brickell’s teaching methods are based on research and represent the finest in early childhood education methodology.

“His knowledge base in brain research and child development is superb,” said Carol Idol, Pre-K Specialist who oversees the program. “The key factor is his ability to translate that knowledge into sitting on the floor and playing with blocks with the children. Early literacy is also a strong point for Michael. He makes sure his kids create a personal journal in a way that is meaningful to them. They learn to love reading and writing. The children instinctively sense his personal passion for reading and writing which leads them to embrace literacy.”

Idol pointed out that Brickell goes above and beyond the normal required assessment of his students.

“He begins the year with additional assessment for his students so he will know just where they are. We do CBM (Curriculum Based Measurement) testing, but he does extra. Throughout the year, he continually assesses their handwriting, fine motor skills, literacy skills, and at the end of the year provides the parents with a portfolio in a pizza box, the ‘Pizza Box Portfolio.’  Each student chooses a favorite book from the year and that book is included in the portfolio,” said Idol.

The students come from all over the city of Knoxville. Parents must provide their own transportation. “We’re desperately waiting for the legislature to pass an expansion budget so we can apply for six more Pre-K classrooms,” said Idol. “Our quest from the state department next year is to collaborate and form partnerships with existing community pre-school centers.”

Brickell accepts whatever skills the students first bring to the classroom and then expands on those skills.

Idol recounts one example in particular of how the students creatively integrated that week’s story into the dramatic center. The book, called “Shouting” was about an African-American Church. After hearing the story, the children went to the Housekeeping Center and decided to play church by converting bookcases to pulpits, putting chairs in rows pretending to hold church just as in the story. Later, on word cards, they learned to spell and write “hallelujah”.

Nidiffer sites KCS teachers as leaders in pre-k education

Dr. Fred Nidiffer, director of elementary education for Knox County Schools, sites Brickell’s invitation to present at the national conference as another example of how Knox County teachers are leaders in their professions.

“Since we began the governor’s lottery funded Pre-K program in Knox County two years ago, our teachers have increasingly found a leadership role for our region and state. Michael’s presentation to a national audience is a real testimonial to the quality of our program and the people who make it happen,” said Nidiffer.

“Mr. Michael” as he is known to his students, has two children ages two and four of his own.

Learn more about the Pre-K program on the KCS website