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\u201cIt\u2019s my passion project,\u201d she said. \u201cSome of our students are illiterate in their native language, and now they\u2019re learning to read in English. We practice real-world situations. I\u2019ll come in dressed as a waitress and take their order like they\u2019re at Cracker Barrel. I\u2019ve even taken them to Chick-fil-A so they can practice ordering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was originally drawn into that work by her sister, who helped coordinate the class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe goal is to empower these families so they can better support their kids. It\u2019s the highlight of my workweek,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, Statum teaches preschool part time at a hybrid school on Tues- days and Thursdays. She also works as a literacy coach at a local middle school one day a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI coach the eighth grade English Language Arts teams at Greenbriar Middle School,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s funny. I\u2019ll be working on bathroom skills and phonics with preschoolers one day and teaching the prologue of \u2018Romeo and Juliet\u2019 the next. I love the variety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Statum has eight years of experience in education, teaching in various grade levels and as a multilingual teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her blog and Instagram page, Pencils to Pigtails, Statum creates and shares classroom resources, inspiration, and real-life stories with a broad community of educators. She stays current by consuming the latest research and distilling it into actionable tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m kind of nerdy,\u201d she laughed. \u201cI\u2019m always reading or listening to podcasts about the science of reading, ordering new books, and incorporating the latest research into my presentations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She recently collaborated with the BBC on activity guides for \u201cBluey,\u201d the beloved children\u2019s television show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy kids will walk in and see me watching \u2018Bluey,\u2019 but it\u2019s work!\u201d she said, laughing. \u201cI watch the episode, then design classroom activities that teachers can download from the BBC\u2019s website.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her work with the \u201cWe Are Teachers\u201d channel, she\u2019s even interviewed celebrities, including DMC from Run-D.M.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey were filming from Scholastic\u2019s office in New York. I was just in my home office, suddenly talking to a hip-hop legend with a full production team on the other end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With all the accolades and travels, Statum stays grounded in her mission to remind teachers of their value and help reignite their passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTeaching is a daunting profession. It\u2019s become harder since the pandemic. Kids struggle to focus and teachers are overwhelmed,\u201d she said. \u201cEverywhere I go, I try to remind them of their \u2018why.\u2019 There\u2019s no other job where you can impact this many lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She cautions veteran educators not to discourage the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNew teachers come in with ideas and excitement. I always say, \u2018Don\u2019t talk down the profession, lift them up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a mom to three kids, she said she\u2019s aware of how much a passionate teacher can shape a child\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I could say one thing to a principal, it would be: \u2018Please give my child a teacher who loves teaching, not one who just has the best test scores.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motherhood has also shaped her curriculum design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI saw what lit my own kids up, like losing a tooth in kindergarten. So I created a whole unit about the tooth fairy that incorporates reading and math. I do the same with teddy bear picnics and sleepovers \u2014 whatever sparks curiosity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the future, Statum will launch a podcast aimed at demystifying education research for teachers called \u201cFrom Research to Recess: The Science Behind Great Teaching\u201d with Deedee Wills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll break down research articles into quick 10 to 15 minute episodes and give teachers practical ways to use the findings in their classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her husband, Dustin, and their kids often accompany her to conferences and events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy husband was at my last session. I even brought him on stage,\u201d she said. \u201cThis career lets me be with my kids more, but it also means travel and long days. I couldn\u2019t do it without their support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her goal is to help teachers continue to love teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause when we love what we do, our students feel it and that changes everything.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HILARY STATUM was working in her first career, co-hosting a live morning show in McMinnville, after working at News Channel 5 in Nashville with no plans to become a teacher. But everything changed on a mission trip to Guatemala. \u201cIt was 126 degrees and I remember thinking I had never been happier,\u201d she said. \u201cI […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":24126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/manchester\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/09\/Story-1-photo1-2-1024x683.jpg\")