(Click on the Reference for more info)
Dave Turner, Director CLASS Act/504
"Lauretta,
just a brief note to express my admiration and
appreciation for the fabulous job you did with our
CLASS Act teacher trainers. You received an EXCELLENT
evaluation from the group as did your S.M.A.R.T.S.
LEARNING SYSTEM™. Maybe the ultimate compliment is
our teachers desire to practice what you taught them
and then have you back in their classrooms
modeling!"
-Dave Turner, Director CLASS Act/504, Davis County School District, Farmington, Utah
-Dave Turner, Director CLASS Act/504, Davis County School District, Farmington, Utah
Lynn McCall, Instructional Consultant
Your
S.M.A.R.T.S.™ strategies are down to earth, easy to
use, and right on target. They combine the academic
learning skills with the behavioral management
techniques which are needed in schools
today."
-Lynn McCall, Instructional Consultant, Region 18 Education Service Center, Midland, Texas
-Lynn McCall, Instructional Consultant, Region 18 Education Service Center, Midland, Texas
Randy Sprick, Ph.D., Educational Consultant
Lauretta
is one of the most dynamic and knowledgeable
professionals in the fields of learning disabilities
and motivation/ discipline with whom I have had the
honor of working. As a presenter/trainer, Lauretta is
energetic, humorous, sensitive and informative. Her
presentations are packed with practical and
immediately useful content. Lauretta knows kids
(including tough, troubled and learning disabled
kids). She can integrate instructional techniques and
motivational/management techniques in ways that
result in students wanting to learn and behave
responsibly."
-Randy Sprick, Ph.D., Educational Consultant
-Randy Sprick, Ph.D., Educational Consultant
Brenda Gilliam, Ed.D, University of Texas at Tyler
"The way
you take kids and teach them how to learn and help
them learn is an inspiration. S.M.A.R.T.S.™ gets it
done and you made it happen. You make me proud to be
a teacher."
-Brenda Gilliam, Ed.D, University of Texas at Tyler
-Brenda Gilliam, Ed.D, University of Texas at Tyler
Laura L. McCullough, Ph.D., Division of Exceptional Children Services
"Lauretta, I don’t
honestly know how to thank you for what you gave to
us in Kentucky. Very quickly people realized that you
knew – you knew the agony and the ecstasy of the
tough kid business. You knew how we yearn for them,
brood over their successes and failures, love in the
face of impossible messes, and struggle in the dark
hours where we face ourselves and our own weaknesses
in the process. Where we want to give up and hate
that we can’t. Where we want to remember our power
source and know all things are possible. You gave us
hope and laughter and grace and power. That stuff
lasts!"
-Laura L. McCullough, Ph.D., Division of Exceptional Children Services, Kentucky Department of Education
-Laura L. McCullough, Ph.D., Division of Exceptional Children Services, Kentucky Department of Education
LaNelle Gallagher, Past President, Learning Disabilities Association of America
"Who
better to author a book on teaching strategies that
can improve schools, motivate students and help
teachers to be the best they can be. You are, without
a doubt, the ultimate teachers’ teacher. Your passion
for teaching, your creative genius, and your
sensitivity to the needs of students, have been
demonstrated for the many years you have been a key
presenter at the Annual State Conference of the
Learning Disabilities Association of Texas. Teachers
and administrators trust your good judgment and
common sense approaches to classroom problems. They
know you have been "in the trenches", know their
frustrations and challenges, and have developed and
refined teaching techniques and strategies that have
worked in real-life situations. Parents know of your
sincere empathy for their children and appreciate
your advocacy role. Take a moment from your busy
schedule to think about the thousands of children
your work has touched."
-LaNelle Gallagher, Past President, Learning Disabilities Association of America
-LaNelle Gallagher, Past President, Learning Disabilities Association of America
EvaJean Pickering, Ph.D. & AvaJane Pickering, Ph.D.
"We
appreciate the insightful, practical advice you
provided to the parents, professionals, teachers and
individuals with learning disabilities who attended
your session. We share the same paradigm of
education. You are a master
teacher."
-EvaJean Pickering, Ph.D.-AvaJane Pickering, Ph.D.
-EvaJean Pickering, Ph.D.-AvaJane Pickering, Ph.D.
Thomas J. Proctor, Ed.D., Chair, Department of Educational Psychology
"Dear
Lauretta, I was happy to hear you are writing a book
about the S.M.A.R.T.S. Learning System™. The book
should be a helpful tool for teachers everywhere.
They will have the information they need to adapt
their instruction using game formats and motivational
strategies that are successful and easy to implement
in different subjects and grade levels. Having
observed you using S.M.A.R.T.S.™ with a class of
adolescents in residential treatment, I know that the
strategies will also work with students less
difficult to engage. I also know, from being part of
your workshop presentations, how enthusiastically
teachers respond to your games and other strategies.
You speak with the voice of experience that teachers
respect. Your practical wisdom will be as meaningful
in print as it is in person. I highly recommend
S.M.A.R.T.S. Learning System™. Please feel free to
quote me and use my
endorsement."
-Thomas J. Proctor, Ed.D., Chair, Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University
-Thomas J. Proctor, Ed.D., Chair, Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University
Carol Thompson, Executive Director, Behavioral Health Institute
"Lauretta
Buchanan’s heart for struggling learners has
impassioned her to seek and find the best strategies
to motivate and teach all students. The S.M.A.R.T.S.
Learning System™ is almost like packaging Lauretta –
all of her best ideas, strategies, and even her
"quips" help to equip the educator to make learning
real and fun for all kids! Educating our students is
a mighty task and teachers could use a mentor. That’s
really what they’re getting with Lauretta’s program –
interactive learning strategies that make sense along
with fun ideas to motivate the teacher and the
learner."
-Carol Thompson, Executive Director, Behavioral Health Institute
-Carol Thompson, Executive Director, Behavioral Health Institute
Carmen Rolf, Director – Parents as Teachers
"Lauretta
has such a talent for instilling in parents the
importance of their role and the self-confidence to
know that they can be successful. Parents have said
years later how something Lauretta taught them always
helped them to get through a difficult situation with
their children. Lauretta’s undying devotion to
children is evident in everything she
does."
-Carmen Rolf, Director – Parents as Teachers, Waco Independent School District
-Carmen Rolf, Director – Parents as Teachers, Waco Independent School District
Training Supervisor, Betty Ford Clinic
"I think
this program would be excellent for the prevention of
alcohol use and abuse education. I believe there
would be multiple applications for this teaching
method in work with
adolescents."
-Training Supervisor, Betty Ford Clinic
-Training Supervisor, Betty Ford Clinic
From Teachers:
"Your
program is most effective because it teaches all
kinds of students – the bright ones, the reluctant
ones, and the slow learners. Most of all, everyone in
the class contributed and learned at the same time
while enjoying the assignment. This program would be
a marvelous one to be used in any classroom
regardless of the subject matter or grade level.
Thank you for sharing this teaching method with me. I
feel many other students would profit from your
S.M.A.R.T.S. Learning
System™."
-Middle School Teacher
.....................................................................................................
"Dear Lauretta, This is the best and most helpful workshop I have ever attended. Terrific!"
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, I attended your workshop on June 25th. Thank you! Thank you for the best, (not one of the best) the best workshop I have ever attended. "
.....................................................................................................
"It’s the best workshop I’ve ever been to. This is great stuff!"
.....................................................................................................
"Hey Lauretta! Thanks ! It was one of the most practical, reinforcing (as well as enjoyable) sessions I’ve been to in my 18 years of education."
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, I want to share success stories with you that happened because of what you taught me last year."
.....................................................................................................
"Your workshop was the best, and I left feeling that the 2 days out of my classroom were well worth what I learned".
.....................................................................................................
"Super job! Super material! Lauretta’s a real asset to all educators and the lives of each child we touch. Thanks!"
.....................................................................................................
"This was the most practical and enjoyable conference I have attended."
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, Thank you so very, very much for coming into my classroom and working with my kids and me. It made all the difference in the world. I never knew how to get my entire class involved in the lesson. The kids love the strategies (games), especially, Dots and Boxes and First, Next, Then, Finally. I was honestly ready to give up and quit teaching. You changed that. Thank you for making me believe I can be effective."
.....................................................................................................
"I have been in this business for twenty-three years and have been to it seems like two thousand workshops. I have to say, I usually read a book during them...but not yours. I have never had so much fun, laughed and learned so much, and actually never even thought about picking up my book. Kudos to you. The workshop and you were amazing. What more can I say!"
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, you need to be on stage as a comedian, except we'd lose you and education can't afford that! I learned more in one day than I've learned in years. The thing I like so much about your strategies is that you let us make them ours. We can change them, adapt them to our kids' needs, and do whatever we need. I just wish I'd had you years before. If you decide to go on stage, let me know. I don't want to miss a show!!!"
.....................................................................................................
"When you did your thing in my classroom, I thought, "Sure, she can do this, she wrote the stuff." But, then I tried it. I even did my own testing. I did the strategies with three classes and didn't with the other three. The classes with the strategies did so much better I'm now doing S.M.A.R.T.S. with all my classes. Well, Lady, you know what you're doing and this is one teacher who's grateful for you sharing S.M.A.R.T.S. with us."
.....................................................................................................
"You made the TCEC Conference a blast and an amazing learning experience. I went straight back to my classroom and by gosh every thing you told us and showed us worked. Honey, if I'm anywhere near where you are - color me there!"
.....................................................................................................
"Thanks for making the Behavior Conference such a success. My kids' behavior is so awful, I thought, "no way this 'game stuff' is gonna work," but it's an absolute hoot. My kids are learning and don't even realize it. They're having fun, playing games, and don't have a clue how much they've learned until I give them a test. Then, it's, "Hey Ms. Johnson, when did we go over this stuff? I've never made grades like this." Lauretta, their grades are better, they're actually learning and learning "how" to learn, behavior is improved, and teaching is once again a pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
.....................................................................................................
"You know what I love most about you? Several things! You couldn't intimidate a fly. You don't come in and start telling us all the things we're doing wrong. You just watch us, then tell us the good things we're doing (which doesn't happen very often), and show us little things that make big differences. You help us get away from 'worksheets, worksheets, worksheets' and get our kids into real active learning where they really participate in the lesson. I just wanted to thank you for helping me feel proud to be a teacher. I don't always have good days, but the good ones outweigh the bad ones about 95 to 1. Thanks for just being you...no pretense...no big shot...just a talented woman who God put on earth for teachers and kids. I'm just grateful He put you in our lives."
-Middle School Teacher
.....................................................................................................
"Dear Lauretta, This is the best and most helpful workshop I have ever attended. Terrific!"
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, I attended your workshop on June 25th. Thank you! Thank you for the best, (not one of the best) the best workshop I have ever attended. "
.....................................................................................................
"It’s the best workshop I’ve ever been to. This is great stuff!"
.....................................................................................................
"Hey Lauretta! Thanks ! It was one of the most practical, reinforcing (as well as enjoyable) sessions I’ve been to in my 18 years of education."
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, I want to share success stories with you that happened because of what you taught me last year."
.....................................................................................................
"Your workshop was the best, and I left feeling that the 2 days out of my classroom were well worth what I learned".
.....................................................................................................
"Super job! Super material! Lauretta’s a real asset to all educators and the lives of each child we touch. Thanks!"
.....................................................................................................
"This was the most practical and enjoyable conference I have attended."
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, Thank you so very, very much for coming into my classroom and working with my kids and me. It made all the difference in the world. I never knew how to get my entire class involved in the lesson. The kids love the strategies (games), especially, Dots and Boxes and First, Next, Then, Finally. I was honestly ready to give up and quit teaching. You changed that. Thank you for making me believe I can be effective."
.....................................................................................................
"I have been in this business for twenty-three years and have been to it seems like two thousand workshops. I have to say, I usually read a book during them...but not yours. I have never had so much fun, laughed and learned so much, and actually never even thought about picking up my book. Kudos to you. The workshop and you were amazing. What more can I say!"
.....................................................................................................
"Lauretta, you need to be on stage as a comedian, except we'd lose you and education can't afford that! I learned more in one day than I've learned in years. The thing I like so much about your strategies is that you let us make them ours. We can change them, adapt them to our kids' needs, and do whatever we need. I just wish I'd had you years before. If you decide to go on stage, let me know. I don't want to miss a show!!!"
.....................................................................................................
"When you did your thing in my classroom, I thought, "Sure, she can do this, she wrote the stuff." But, then I tried it. I even did my own testing. I did the strategies with three classes and didn't with the other three. The classes with the strategies did so much better I'm now doing S.M.A.R.T.S. with all my classes. Well, Lady, you know what you're doing and this is one teacher who's grateful for you sharing S.M.A.R.T.S. with us."
.....................................................................................................
"You made the TCEC Conference a blast and an amazing learning experience. I went straight back to my classroom and by gosh every thing you told us and showed us worked. Honey, if I'm anywhere near where you are - color me there!"
.....................................................................................................
"Thanks for making the Behavior Conference such a success. My kids' behavior is so awful, I thought, "no way this 'game stuff' is gonna work," but it's an absolute hoot. My kids are learning and don't even realize it. They're having fun, playing games, and don't have a clue how much they've learned until I give them a test. Then, it's, "Hey Ms. Johnson, when did we go over this stuff? I've never made grades like this." Lauretta, their grades are better, they're actually learning and learning "how" to learn, behavior is improved, and teaching is once again a pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
.....................................................................................................
"You know what I love most about you? Several things! You couldn't intimidate a fly. You don't come in and start telling us all the things we're doing wrong. You just watch us, then tell us the good things we're doing (which doesn't happen very often), and show us little things that make big differences. You help us get away from 'worksheets, worksheets, worksheets' and get our kids into real active learning where they really participate in the lesson. I just wanted to thank you for helping me feel proud to be a teacher. I don't always have good days, but the good ones outweigh the bad ones about 95 to 1. Thanks for just being you...no pretense...no big shot...just a talented woman who God put on earth for teachers and kids. I'm just grateful He put you in our lives."