Special education teacher, Southern Middle School

With an older sister who has Down Syndrome, I learned early in life that a disability is just one aspect of who a person is. I saw that every human being, no matter their limitations, wants to be loved and accepted. I have taken this philosophy into my classroom.

I try and identify the strengths and weaknesses of my students to formulate my educational goals for them.  Because of the complexity of the students' disabilities, these goals have to be very individualized, making teaching special education at several grade levels challenging and at the same time rewarding. 

Every student is a unique individual whose diagnosis should never limit his or her potential to grow and learn. One of my goals is to integrate my students into the general education classroom when appropriate. That also helps the other students become comfortable and aware of how to interact with these peers. 

Teaching is more than a job to me -- it is a passion. Joy, humor, compassion and love are all important ideals in my classroom as they are in my life. Seeing my students succeed to the best of their abilities is my ultimate reward.