LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Shelley McCullough was nominated by her principal, Tamara Stroud.

"Shelley McCullough is the Focus Room Facilitator (PK-5th grade) and Calming Space Supervisor (6th-12th grade) in the Archie R-V School District. The need for this position was identified several years ago when our administrative team recognized that our discipline interactions with students were primarily reactive. At that time, if students had a problem, we responded with the appropriate consequences, parent contact, and staff planning as needed. What we were failing to do, however, was to teach our students why they were exhibiting certain behaviors and how they could respond more appropriately to change behaviors permanently," said Stroud. 

"With the BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team) approach as her basis, Mrs. McCullough has become exactly what our district needed to be a LifeChanger for our students and staff. She supports teachers by co-creating Student Success Plans, and she is a daily touchstone for students by providing opportunities for proactive strategies and breaks, assisting in teaching life goals, and providing a safe place for students to fix problems," said Stroud. "With her support, we have celebrated dozens of students moving from non-compliant to independent over the past six years."

"One student who has experienced significant change with Mrs. McCullough's guidance is a little guy who came to us in first grade. When he got angry, it was explosive; he was difficult to calm down and often had to go home. Mrs. McCullough began triages, planned breaks, and earned breaks with him, and she taught him new skills to help him get to where he is today. Today, he only needs limited support throughout the year, and he can now identify when he needs support and help other students who struggle," said Stroud. "We also had a young lady who was non-compliant, often daily. She has transitioned from needing daily support to being a peer coach for others. Without Mrs. McCullough's dedication and commitment to lean in when things are hard, our students would not make such great gains. For these students and others like them, learning skills to successfully get through each day is life-changing. Today, visits to the Focus Room are primarily proactive rather than reactive because Mrs. McCullough helps students understand the expectations and sets goals for how to meet them."

"This past summer, Mrs. McCullough worked with the counselor, high school teachers, and other staff members to create a calming space for middle and high school students," said Stroud. "She was instrumental in identifying that significant emotional needs exist for the older students in our K-12 building, yet we did little to address these needs. The new calming space provides a location where our older students can take a break from difficult situations while acquiring skills to improve their own coping skills. Because Mrs. McCullough has often already developed positive relationships with many of these older kids, all students in our building feel safe and supported by Mrs. McCullough. Students frequently identify her as a trusted adult through their Signs of Suicide lessons."

"Mrs. McCullough has positive relationships with staff, students, and parents. They trust that she intends to help everyone succeed. Mrs. McCullough thinks outside the box and is willing to do what it takes to support students and staff. She remains calm, kind, and consistent, even on her hardest days," said Stroud. "Mrs. McCullough is always learning and improving, and she is not afraid to reach out to other resources to help with planning and brainstorming. Our school is a better place because of Mrs. McCullough. The motto at Archie is #ArchieStrong. Mrs. McCullough is a LifeChanger for many in our small district and truly exemplifies what it means to be #ArchieStrong!"