Guest Speaker Urges Educators To Provide Safety, Belonging

Wolf Point educators received a positive message prior to the start of the school year when nationally known speaker and bestselling author Dr. Ruby Payne provided a program throughout the day on Thursday, Aug. 15.

Payne, who has been a guest speaker for K-12 teachers and economic development officials for about 25 years, won an IPPY award from the Independent Publishers organization for her book Emotional Poverty. Her programs and conferences have certified thousands of trainees in her Framework for Understanding Poverty and Bridges Out of Poverty models.

Payne explains that poverty impacts all impacts of a community including law enforcement, hospitals, health care with addictions, schools and businesses when employees don’t arrive on time.

She noted that people in poverty, middle class and wealth need to understand each other better. She says everybody had 24 hours a day, how you spend your time depends on who you and what you know.

When people don’t understand each other, the result includes fights and disagreements. For example, a student doesn’t get his homework done when he doesn’t have water, electricity or internet at home. It’s important to communicate and understand each other.

Payne explains that poverty, the middle class and wealthy people usually don’t understand each other. At many neighborhoods dealing with poverty, fighting for men is encouraged. In middle class neighborhoods, fighting is frown upon.

She says to level the playing field in the schools, educators need to promote safety and belonging. “If you don’t have safety and belonging, it’s hard to get the brain working,” Payne said.

Over her career, Payne has worked as a teacher and principal, written K–12 curriculum in all subject areas, and assisted in strategic planning and staff development programs for multiple organizations. She aims to equip everyone she meets with the tools to write a future story full of hope.

Wolf Point Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perkins has heard Payne speak at education conferences, and he thought her message was important for local educators to hear.

“A lot of things she addresses are things that we need,” Perkins said.