Teachers in Pine Bluff’s Dollarway District Back In School

Middle school and high school teachers in Dollarway’s School District are already back in the books. They spent four days recently reviewing test scores and planning for next year’s classroom curriculum. The common core standards mandated by federal guidelines served as the focal point of the workshop which was led by ECS, an educational consulting firm.

“The alignment process allows the teachers to take an in-depth look at what we need to do differently. When we say, ‘Kids are missing the basics,’ and we look at what is missing and address that, we are able to help more them forward,” said Yolanda Prim. Prim is the principal at Robert Morehead Middle School where the workshop was held.

Much like their students, teachers gathered around their laptops and shared ideas for creating an exciting learning environment utilizing the technology that has become commonplace in today’s world.

Kathryn Armstrong, who teaches eighth grade social studies, has used a mock Facebook application called Fakebook to engage her students in writing about historical figures. She also applauded the new relationships built between middle school and high school students.

Armstrong said, “It gives teachers a chance to come together and look at data and have meaningful conversations about what we’ve done in our classrooms, how it affects our data, and what we can do to improve our data in the future.”

The workshop affirmed the importance of improving students’ test performance, but it also highlighted the significance of engaging students in learning. The workshop was not mandatory, but the information will be shared with all teachers.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Melvin Bryant, “These are our trainers. So, they will be able to go back to the schools and share it with the rest of the staff.”

Science teacher Reggie Nalls explained, “Science concepts are best understood through hands-on learning. And, this training helps me structure my time and focus on teaching practices that best serve my students.”

Middle school is considered the “connector” between elementary school and high school. Plans are now underway to bring elementary school teachers and middle school teachers together for a workshop. There are many benefits to forming working relationships between the staff at all schools said Principal Prim. She added, “We are able to look at the whole picture and see how we are able to better connect all the pieces.”

Summer is just beginning, but the commitment to year-round preparation for students continues in the Dollarway District.

Dr. Bryant offered an explanation for the district’s quick turnaround for its teacher training. “You don’t wait until the game starts to prepare for the game. And, that’s what we’re doing now…preparing for the game that starts in August.”