"Students need a good advocate and I will be that!"

Hometown

Pahoa, Hawai'i island

Department

Special Education

Related Degrees

• BEd in Special Education

Why did you choose to become a teacher, in general?

In my young adult life I had been a secretary for several years. First it was for insurance and then later I got involved with Child and Family Service. Working with Child and Family Service. made me realize that I wanted a career that allowed me to be more directly involved with supporting my community. While working there, I recognized that social work was a great way to be involved in the community but it had some very dark moments. Through this experience I realized that teaching would allow me to work directly with students and famililes, encourage a love for learning (and reading specifically), and still have the opportunity to be a positive influence on my community. From that moment I devoted myself to being a life long learner and educator.

Why did you choose to become licensed in special education?

During the nine years that I have been a teacher, I recognized many ways that I could improve my practice. My masters degree was in Special Education, Literacy Specialist. However, I got the add-a-field for literacy specialist and not Special Education. While that program helped me become a very strong literacy teacher, I remembered all of the strategies that I had learned to help support the many diverse learners in my classroom. Fortunately, I had always been in an inclusion classroom, sometimes with an EA, sometimes with pull out. Many times I wondered if I could better support my students with disabilities by becoming certified and specializing in teaching students with disabilities. After some years of simmering on the idea of getting licensed to service special education students, I finally made the decision to follow that desire.

Many of my students that have disabilities are very brilliant children that just needed someone to help them reach and often surpass the expectations that others had of them. When a student feels safe and supported, they tend to be more successful. Another goal is to also be a part of the movement to end the stigmas against people with disabilities and help them be recognized and recognize themselves as capable and important members of our community.

Why do you feel it is important to have diversity in the classroom?

Hawaii is a very diverse place. It has a rich history and a multitude of diverse families that currently live here. I find it to be very important to honor the culture of Hawaii as well as the many families that make up the diverse communities that we service. Diversity in the classroom is important because it helps sustain the many cultures and histories of our families, create acceptance and empathy for others, and create togetherness as we learn the similarities and unique qualities of the many cultures in our world.