My project was about the professional development meetings, or (PD), that the staff and teachers at KIPP had every Friday afternoon. Quickly after taking on this topic, I tried to figure out ways to evolve it so that it would be more engaging and relevant to KIPP Durham as well as my audience and not just a bunch of people with laptops and papers sitting around a table. Soon, my project came to include how the PD meetings truly impact the success and performance of the students at KIPP. Furthermore, from going on multiple shoots and learning more about the school and its students and teachers, I found that by KIPP taking time each week to develop and critique the staff and teachers (both collectively and in one-on-one meetings) KIPP Durham is able to more effectively help its students succeed in the classroom and be more prepared for college and life. One way in which I aim to show this to my audience is by looking more in-depth at a few of KIPP's teachers and staff giving the audience a first-hand account of the vital nature of each teacher and staff member at KIPP.
So, in watching this presentation, you will learn about how there is much more behind-the-scenes work at KIPP than most realize at first. The teachers and staff at KIPP are constantly working to improve themselves and their work just as the students are too. Like a foundation for a house, the teachers and staff at KIPP are the heart of where the education and preparation for these students stems from; it is the effort they all put in after the school day and during their free time that makes a difference and an impact in the lives of their students.