Special Ed Teacher: Miss. Rae
Today I have an awesome Special Education teacher Miss. Rae. She has been teaching for 19 years and has an amazing Instagram that I love to go to for information. She always has reliable data and information she has found from her research that relates to almost any teacher. I am a huge believer in research, so visiting Miss. Rae’s instagram is a must to add to your collection of resources.
Here is her interview:
1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was growing up, but then, I learned that it required some not so fun aspects and there was no way I was going to be able to do some of those things! My mother is a teacher, and like many teenagers, I swore I would not end up doing the same thing as either of my parents. However, when I graduated college with a bachelors degree in English, I did not have a plan. I took a job as a Special Education tutor in a middle school and fell in love with teaching. So needless to say, I ended up just like my mother! :)
2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up ?
I actually did not like school growing up. I always loved learning, but I was always bored in school. In first grade, my teacher would often stop mid-lesson to chat with someone in the doorway or out in the hall. She did it one day in the middle of directions on how to make the love bug craft we were making for Valentine's Day. There was a model at the front of the classroom so I continued on creating my craft while she talked. Soon other students were following along and asking me for help. When my teacher saw what was happening, I got yelled at that I was not the teacher - I am now though! And as a result of moments like this, I make sure that my students always have my undivided attention!
3. How long have you been teaching, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there?
I have been teaching for 19 years. I have taught mainly Special Education students over that time, with a few sprinkles of general education teaching. I teach in Massachusetts so typically, all teaching certifications require a few state tests and an educational degree that requires a student teaching practicum. All teachers are expected to obtain their masters' degrees within five years of obtaining their initial certification. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in English Literature. This program did not require a teaching practicum so before I could begin teaching, I had to complete an M.Ed. that included a student teaching practicum. Since then, I have also obtained my CAGS in Educational Leadership. Massachusetts requires on-going professional development towards relicensure.
4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom and why?
Ah this is a tough one! I have so many that I like from my doorbell to get students' attention to my sound wall to graphic organizers to my smartboard and laptop to books! But if I must choose just one, I would have to choose my ability to build relationships with students! In building those relationships, I have every tool I need for teaching! I know this isn't a great answer, but I'm not sure any one tool acts as my magic wand - other than our relationships with students!
5. Is there anything you do to accommodate your students and how often do you find yourself using that accommodation? I think we accommodate all of our students all day. I think it is important to plan for academic, social emotional, and behavioral accommodations when planning lessons. For instance, do students need checklists and visuals for work completion? Do they need sentence frames for written or oral expression activities? Think about the learner and what the learner will need to be successful. Those are your best accommodations.
6. I love your Instagram account and how you share really important information. Where do you go to find this information and why do you think it's important to share it with everyone? Great question! I develop and teach graduate-level education courses which requires a great deal of research. While I do teach a variety of teaching-related courses, I have a few passions - learning disabilities and social emotional learning. I love learning and I love research so often, I am reading and researching my passion subjects for fun. Many of my stats come all of this reading and research!
7. Any advice for a new teacher?
You can't be any other teacher, but the one you are comfortable with - and that's you! My first teaching job was a Special Education middle school teacher in an urban public therapeutic day school. All of my students lived in poverty and all were diagnosed with mental health disorders. Despite the odds being stacked against me, I was excited to be a teacher. My excitement didn’t even wain when I greeted my 16-year-old eighth graders who towered at least a foot above me at the classroom door the first morning! My kiddos were tough. They tested me every day. There were fist fights in the classroom, one handed tossing of desks across the room in anger, and plans of suicide shared with me weekly. I was being given a lot of advice from the other teachers in the school: “Do this”, “Don’t do that”, “I do it this way”, “This is the way you should do it”, “You shouldn’t do that.” It was all well intentioned, but it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I couldn’t fail these kids, but my all wasn’t enough I thought. I started to listen to the advice, and I tried most of it. I raised my voice. I didn’t let my students move a muscle without permission. But the classroom seemed to be getting worse. Then, one day I realized that the reason none of it was working was because it wasn’t me. I went home that night and pulled out the philosophy of education I had written during my student teaching. And then, I wrote down my favorite teaching quote onto an index card that I continue to teach by: “If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” The next day, I walked into my classroom, placed that quote on my desk, and became me as a teacher! My teaching transformed and my classroom and students thrived. We became a family of learners who trusted, respected, and supported each other! I lived and breathed that classroom. Some days I left feeling like a failure, but I never gave up and I started each day with a positive outlook. So moral of the story-be the best version of you as a teacher!
8. How was it teaching virtually?
Exhausting! :) But despite this, I think we learned a lot. We learned that teachers and students are amazingly resilient! We learned that some technology will translate well back into the traditional classroom. This will only enhance student learning. I also think that we learned how to teach virtually! :)
9. A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since this Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it?
I definitely think things will change, and I do think that this will all be for the better. We have learned so much from this experience. If we do not apply what we have learned, we wouldn't be teachers!
10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hmmm... In 10 years, I hope to still be working to challenge the education of all students to be the best it possibly can be. I truly believe in the power of education. I believe that education is the great changer! Our students' need a developmentally appropriate curriculum linked to Social Emotional Learning. And our teachers need stronger teacher prep programs on the science of learning to be able to deliver this instruction. It only takes common sense to see what we need!
Thanks so much Miss. Rae!
Happy Teaching :)