SDC Teacher: Amanda Carota

Today I have my mentor from last year Amanda Carota, aka Watch Upon a Star blogger of all things Disney and rockstar sped teacher who took me under her wing and helped me transition into the mod/severe SDC world. Amanda has such a calm and kind classroom management style that I have been able to admire and learn from. Here is Amanda’s interview:

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A crossing guard or a waitress...but mostly a teacher. At the age of four I would "teach" with my grandmother in her classroom and I guess it stuck!

2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up?

I was inspired by all of my English teachers from 6th grade forward all the way into college. They were passionate about books and humanity and that passion was contagious. They made me feel excited to not only read and write, but to share my thoughts and ideas with others--(which we now know is the highest level of learning in Bloom's Taxonomy!) Whatever they were doing was working.

3. How long have you been teaching, what country/state do you teach in, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there?

I was earning my Bachelor's degree in English, dead set on becoming a high school English teacher when I spent a summer in a Moderate/Severe SPED program. I fell in love! I'm entering my 8th year as a Special Education teacher. I was a Moderate/Severe teacher for the last seven years. This year I step into a new role as a Resource and Mild Moderate teacher. I earned my Moderate/Severe and Mild/Moderate credentials from a local teacher intern program that allowed me to teach during the day and take classes in the evenings.

4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom and why?

Relationships. Knowing what makes my students tick is pivotal info and I struggle to teach without it. It's my responsibility to connect with my kids so that I know how to make instruction interesting for them.

5. Every teacher has something they are passionate about changing in education, what do you hope to change as a teacher?

I would like to leave a legacy of successes (small and large) with my students and in more broad terms I want to help move Special Education forward to a place where it is more efficient and effective. Sometimes SPED is more messy than it needs to be. There is instruction, behaviors, IEP's, paraprofessionals, parents, schedules, and ever-changing policy to contend with. I would love to use my experience to help teachers streamline their classroom environment to meet all requirements and come out alive!

6. I know that you also have a blog about watching disney movies in order and you have a portion dedicated to using disney in your classroom, do you have any tips for a teacher who wants to incorporate disney in the classroom?

I love to play soft Disney music in the background during unstructured time in the classroom, and of course I love talking Disney with my students who love it too. Do I think every teacher should use Disney in their classroom? No. Do I think you should share things that inspire you with your students? Absolutely! Making connections builds relationships and inspires learning.

7. Any advice for a new teacher you wish you had known?

Individual instruction is a more powerful tool than whole group instruction, always! If you're a SPED teacher and whole group instruction isn't working for your group, ditch it! I always thought that because I was a classroom teacher I needed to spend the most time planning for a few whole group instruction blocks that I had throughout the school day. What I discovered is that with a class of diverse abilities, it became increasingly difficult to facilitate growth for all students during whole group lessons. Once I let go of the idea that this was how teachers teach and built my whole day around small group and individual instruction, real growth started happening and consequently I learned strategies to develop whole group lessons that DO meet everyone's needs.

8. What has been the most challenging aspect of being a teacher?

Bringing the stress home.

9. A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since the Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it?

The pandemic forced teachers to be flexible and ever-changing in how they deliver instruction. We all had to re-learn what we do in the course of a year. We had to change it up over and over again until we found what worked. Sometimes this meant doing things one way for certain students and another way for others. While it was exhausting and sometimes terribly frustrating, and I hope that we never have to teach online and in person simultaneously again... this level of versatility is the very nature of individualized instruction and I think these lessons in flexibility can only serve to benefit all students.

10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?

I do believe that Special Education is my home. I hope to be in a position that allows me to share my experiences and collaborate with SPED faculty and staff to create success for students.

Huge thanks to Amanda for this interview and for always being there for me!

Happy Teaching Everyone :)