Regulation 6530-1

Instructional Decisions

Procedures for Use of Resource Persons in the Classroom

Reviewed and affirmed by the Board:  6/22/2021
Last Revision: 
Original publish date: 08/25/2015
Related policies & regulations:  3970-1, 6450, 6530
Legal references:  

 

Resource persons may be called upon to serve in roles such as giving a convocation address, speaking to a class on a specified topic or working with an individual student on a project. Resource people are usually brought into the classroom because of specific expertise or interest in a topic. Parents, politicians, community residents and visitors from other countries are examples of people who may be asked to serve as resource persons.

 

To enhance the quality of the resource person’s time with students, the following procedures are established for staff use:

  1. Preplan the activity with the resource person.  The following steps identify some essential actions to take when making arrangements:
    • Inform the resource person of the objectives which he/she is being asked to help achieve and, if appropriate, the unit objectives,
    • Inform the resource person of the District policy regarding commercialism,
    • Provide assistance which will help the resource person make an effective presentation to the age, grade, interest and knowledge level of the students,
    • Clarify details about date, time and place, and
  2. Inform the administration of resource person’s visit.
    • The building administration should be aware, in advance, of any visit by a resource person and must be notified if the teacher considers the resource speaker or the topic to be controversial.  Notification includes the date, class(es) to be visited, and the topic to be addressed.  When a resource speaker is scheduled into a classroom, the teacher will ask him/her to report to the office when entering the building.
  3. Inform students of resource person’s visit.  Students need to be prepared for an activity involving a resource person.
    • Identify the objectives that the resource person will be addressing,
    • If appropriate, provide students with background on the topic and opportunities for them to develop questions to facilitate interaction, and
    • If the topic is controversial, explain to parents and students their options for an alternative activity.
  4. Maintain responsibility for the resource person’s presentation (i.e., the teacher maintains ultimate responsibility for instruction).
    • Retain management responsibility for the activity; be present during the interaction, and
    • Clarify, raise questions, and interrupt, as needed, if the resource person presents information which conflicts with course objectives or needs clarification.
  5. Provide appropriate follow-up and debriefing activities to enhance student understanding of the topic.

If the resource person is a politician (currently holding office or seeking office), teachers should review the procedures in the policy regarding controversial issues.