Key points:
- Being a successful teacher is about more than academics–you must understand students’ unique struggles
- Students thrive when they see educators who look like them, especially when that educator radiates positivity, perseverance, and respect
- See related article: ISTELive, Abbott Elementary, and a push for Black educator representation
As a teacher at High Road School of Delaware, an individualized special education program aimed at strengthening each student’s academic, social and emotional abilities, job skills, and self-esteem, I serve a community of young people who share a rich spectrum of experiences. Becoming a special ed teacher was not the career I had pictured for myself – but now I can’t imagine doing anything else.
After serving in the Air Force with stints in Italy, Guam, and the UK, I found my purpose back in the States, working with children and adolescents with special needs. It all began when my mother’s friend, who operated a group home, offered me a job. While working in this position, I found myself drawn to the complexities and rewards that come with serving populations with the greatest needs. …Read More