Brian Favorite – Island Park Elementary

Job Title: Paraprofessional

Job Description: Brian works with 4th grade teachers at Island Park Elementary to provide supplemental help in the classroom and support students both one-on-one and in small groups. He also works with the “Eagles Nest” morning math group for “students in the middle,” coordinates Friday enrichment activities and helps run “Recess Camp.” He is a crossing guard in the morning and afternoon, and this winter he is the assistant director of the school musical, Mary Poppins.

Location: Island Park Elementary

Typical Day: Brian begins his day as a crossing guard, directing traffic and students for safe arrival to school. He then divides his time among the school’s four 4th-grade classrooms. During recess, he helps to run “Recess Camp,” offering creative alternative activities for students. Some of these include: Sewing & Knitting Club, building things with boxes, ping pong and kick ball games. On Fridays he runs the enrichment program which, most recently, has involved the all-student video commercial project. Under Brian’s direction, Island Park students have learned to be producers, directors, writers and script supervisors for 20 minutes worth of school “commercials.” This winter all 104 fourth-graders will learn to do “public service announcements” in the form of rap songs. Brian and his team plan to create a DVD of all of the commercials and PSA’s for parents to enjoy.

Best part of the job: Getting to know the kids by working with them one-on-one and in small groups.

Something people may not know: Brian grew up in Los Angeles and worked in production for many TV sitcoms such as “Mad About You,” “Married With Children” and “Grace Under Fire.” He also worked for TechTV in San Francisco. After 9/11, Brian had a mid-life crisis and went back to school for a teaching degree. Then he spent a year in Tonga with the Peace Corps and now he is at Island Park!

Years worked in the district: This is Brian’s first year in the district.

Outside interests: Working on a documentary about Tonga, yoga, swimming and spending time with his family -- niece Eve Berrington, a sophomore at MIHS and her dad, Jim Berrington. They all live on Mercer Island.