One hand reaches out, and pulls a lost soul from harm. While a thousand more go unspoken for, and they say what good have you done, by saving just this one. It’s like whispering a prayer in the fury of a storm. And I hear them saying, you’ll never change things. And no matter what you do, it’s still the same thing. But it’s not the world that I am changing. I do this so this world will know that it will not change me.
– Garth Brooks, The Change
Who I am
Well, at heart, I am, and always will be, a teacher, but I am also a learner. For the past 19 years, I have been a special education teacher for students with significant multiple disabilities. I was a student teacher in the same school where I currently teach. Basically, I fell in love with the school and never left.
Over the years, I have taught students of various ages and functional levels. I think that I have found my niche in my current class, with students ages 18-21 who are preparing to transition to the world of adult services. My students continue to amaze and inspire me everyday.
What I am doing here
I am very close to completing my Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology through Seton Hall University. By August 2016, I hope to have this degree as well as a certificate in Transition and a Supervision certificate.
I also have a certification as a Structured Learning Experience Supervisor (SLE) which has allowed me to help my students get volunteer jobs in the community to increase their independence, awareness, self-esteem and motivation. They are making an impact on everyone around them and becoming part of the local community.
Recently, I have started a Special Needs Religious Education program in my home parish. Coming to religious education classes is a luxury that many children with special needs have not been able to access. It is a very small program and we have a lot to learn, but so far so good.
So basically…
As the above song lyrics state so eloquently, like most teachers, I am not here to change the whole world, but I am doing what I was meant to do in a world that continues to change around me