LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A Pulaski County Special School District Gifted and Talented teacher is using her passion and expertise to help other educators reach students from low-income households.
Dr. Monica Meadows is the Gifted and Talented Facilitator at College Station Elementary and Daisy Bates Elementary.
“I am really excited to have been given an opportunity to write about something I am passionate about and to be included in this book with all of these other amazing professionals,” said Dr Meadows. “It is simply amazing to see this project that I have worked on for the last year come to reality.”
The book, “Unlocking Potential” was written by authors with extensive experience in working with gifted students from low-income households. The book focuses on ways to translate the latest research and theory into evidence-supported practices that impact how schools identify and serve these students.
Students from low income households may not have the same access to the experiences that support their talents. Over time this perpetuates gaps in achievement. Schools can be a positive and powerful influence in the lives of students from low income households.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields present a pathway out of poverty for children and adolescents from low-income households. This is because STEM fields are in high demand and therefore offer individuals from low-income households career and professional attainment with adequate financial rewards. Also, science, technology, and engineering are inherently hands-on domains and therefore engage children and adolescents in active learning immediately.
Dr. Meadows was asked to participate in the book, “Unlocking Potential” through her work with the Jodie Mahoney Center for Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and her mentor, Dr. Ann Robins at UA Little Rock. She co-authored a chapter that focuses on curriculum and instructional strategies for students from low income households, particularly in the STEM areas.
Dr. Meadows has been teaching for 16 years and has worked at Blytheville High School, Jacksonville North Pulaski Middle School, and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High, Harris Elementary, Daisy Bates Elementary, and College Station Elementary within PCSSD.