Professional Development
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Understanding Poverty

On February 15th I attended a presentation by Dr. Rita Pearson of RFT Publications on poverty. It was based on the efforts of Dr. Ruby Payne and her book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty. My reasons for attending the workshop were several fold. First, I am interested in securing a better understanding of those who come from impoverished situations. Second, Livingston Primary has more than 60 % of its campus population on Free and Reduced Lunch and county census statistics reveal that Polk County is one of the poorest in the state. Last of all, I am interested in staff development for my campus that will assist faculty and staff in meeting the needs of parents and children in our community.

Dr. Pearson shared the eight resources of a student, language registers and discourse patterns, hidden rules among classes, effective discipline interventions proved effective for the poor, mediation techniques, and how economic realities affect patterns of living. All of this information is very pertinent for dealing with everyday issues. It is my desire for Livingston Primary School to effectively communicate with parents and better understand reasons why some students behave or respond the way they do.

I walked away from the presentation with a clearer discernment of behaviors and expectations. Dr. Pearson was extremely informative and very entertaining. We were told not to expect less from needy students, but to offer options for completing assignments.

This information will be shared with my faculty. I plan to purchase Dr. Payne's book for faculty and staff to read, and then participate in group study sessions. All information gleaned will assist me in the development of my own leadership skills needed for parent and community involvement and communication. I hope because of my initial experience with the "framework for poverty", my entire staff will have a trail to better understanding those who live in poverty, and in turn, will transfer and apply this knowledge to the primary children they touch on a daily basis.

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Staff Development

Livingston ISD's calendar provided for a staff development day on February 15th. My
principal assigned me the task of planning and coordinating professional growth sessions for all faculty and staff on the campus. I began with a needs assessment at each grade level, followed by a group brainstorming to address topics of value. I incorporated a way for teachers who had previously attended professional growth workshops or conferences to share beneficial information with other staff members.

This semester, Livingston Primary School implemented a new computer based instructional program. More training was necessary for teachers and staff to produce reports and understand how to use them effectively, so part of everyone's day was  spent with a Computer Curriculum Corporation representative. Other segments of the day were spent in grade level specifically targeted activities.

Scheduling for a staff of over 80 employees was not an easy task. However, utilizing efforts of team leaders and previously trained teachers who could share highlights of great workshops they'd attended, enabled the Primary School to offer professional growth opportunities favorable to all members of our campus.
                         
This planning effort allowed me to work collaboratively with staff. Time was scheduled to meet the needs of faculty members and to assist them in securing new instructional and curricular strategies. I realized that effectively planned staff development uses teacher and student driven ideas that lend support to campus and district goals. I hope to always solicit staff input, campus conducted needs assessments, and brainstorming sessions to implement sound staff development opportunities that create advantageous training for all.