“The SPED BEd program fit perfectly into my home and work schedule. It is nice to be able to further my education and not sacrifice my personal and financial needs.”

Hometown

Kea‘au, Hawai‘i

Department

Special Education

Related Degrees

• BEd in Special Education

Did you always know you wanted to become a teacher? Briefly describe your road to this pathway. 
For the past 7 years I have been debating between becoming a nurse or a teacher until I finally decided that becoming an educator would be much more personally rewarding.

How did you become interested in special education?
Previous employment with special needs students led me to become interested in becoming a special education teacher.

Why did you choose to pursue this program?
The SPED BEd program fit perfectly into my home and work schedule. It is nice to be able to further my education and not sacrifice my personal and financial needs.

How has your cooperating teacher (CT) impacted your teaching practice?
My CT at Keonepoko Elementary has provided me with a lot of hands-on experience and personal knowledge which I have integrated into my own style of interacting with the students.

What has been best part about your field placement experience so far?
Getting to know and building relationships with the students and staff members in the FSC class.

What has been the best part of the program for you so far?
The abundance of knowledge that I have gained with each instructor. They all teach in a way that lets me retain the material and not be intimidated by the expected course load.

In what ways do you hope to make a difference using the knowledge you have gained?
I hope to become like any other great educator, someone that can lead the students to excel academically, socially, and emotionally.

How are the people and the program in the COE helping you along your way to becoming a teacher?
Everyone in the COE have been so helpful and understanding. They all made this process easy and are great in responding to questions or concerns very quickly.

What are your future plans?
I am diligent in becoming a special education teacher in the HIDOE system for elementary-aged students.

Anything else you would like to share?
If you or anyone you know may be deciding to become a special education teacher then this program works great. Classes are scheduled in the late afternoon/ early evening hours so you don’t have to cut into your work schedule. All the staff members are extremely helpful and knowledgeable which made the application process less intimidating. The first step is always the hardest so go ahead and take the plunge.