Legacy in Motion: Part 4

Creating Belonging: No More Closets, No More Shame

Legacy in Motion: Part 4

Creating Belonging: No More Closets, No More Shame

If there is a single thread that weaves through every piece of The Alphabet System™, it is this: no child should feel ashamed to learn.

I’ve seen what happens when students are pulled out of their classrooms and taken to small, windowless spaces—closets, corners, offices—places where the message is clear: “You don’t belong here.” I’ve seen the way they carry that shame, how it sinks into their shoulders, how it shows up in silence.

That’s what broke my heart—and that’s what changed my path.

The Alphabet System™ was my answer to a promise I made: I would no longer pull students out to give them what they needed. I would build something that let them stay. Something that brought the tools into the classroom, into the circle, into the community.

And not just for students—for teachers, too.

Creating belonging means designing for inclusion, not intervention. It means making sure every child sees their brilliance reflected in the words they read and the way they’re taught. It means honoring difference without isolating it.

It also means rewriting the unspoken stories so many carry: “I’m not smart.” “I can’t read.” “This isn’t for me.”

No more.

Instead, we create new stories: “I am capable.” “I am learning.” “I belong.”

That is the heart of this system. That is the reason for every chant, every poster, every gentle minute of “10 Minutes with Tammy™.” It’s all rooted in one unwavering truth:

Belonging is not a reward. It is a right.

The legacy continues—with every student who feels seen, every teacher who feels empowered, and every voice that rises from silence into sound.

Thank you for journeying through this series with me. This is just the beginning.