It’s not always easy to judge how someone feels, but as LaJoy Jones sat in the foyer of Goose Creek High on Monday, it was obvious. Her gentle smile could be seen from a distance as she thought about the events of the day.
Ms. Jones normally spends her weekdays in the library of Cross High as a media assistant, but on this day, she attended a professional development event for support staff members in Berkeley County School District. She was one of approximately 320 employees at the inaugural BCSD in 3D Support Staff Conference.
The gratification she felt after attending several sessions, she said, was not exclusive to her. In fact, she said most of the employees she spoke to shared the same sentiment – all the feelings associated with being valued, respected and appreciated.
“We all felt the same way, glad we came and glad we got to do this,” she said.
With more than 50 sessions covering many aspects of professional and personal development, there was something for everyone.
“The most beneficial to me was learning about the Project Create Program,” she said. “Which I am now going to go home and apply for.”
Project Create, officially known as the SC Create program, allows full-time employees at public schools to receive cost-free course work to complete, add-on or obtain initial licensure in special education. The SC Create info session was one of a handful designed to inform support staff of alternative paths to becoming a licensed educator or expanding upon current certification(s).
“There is a lot of work for us to do, and you don’t have to feel like you are stuck in one position,” Jones said. “There is a wide variety of things that we can do.”
Showing employees where and how they can grow really pulled at the heartstrings of Jones.
“Something like this, where you see how much they value what we bring into the district, that just made it all good for me today,” she said. “Just them saying ‘thank you, we appreciate you for what you do.’”
The BCSD Office of Professional Development and School Support organized the event, and its director, Sharon Snyder said establishing that sense of appreciation was the primary goal.
“They felt appreciated. They were so glad that they had something focused for them,” Snyder said.
“The primary goal was to make folks feel appreciated and for them to know that they are supported both personally and professionally.”
Sessions were themed and based on feedback from principals and staff members. Snyder said discussions on hosting the event in 2023 have already begun.
Original source can be found here.
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