Keri Faulkner, SPED teacher, was well on her way to becoming a nurse, but she got an opportunity that changed her career path.
“I got an opportunity to work with the superintendent of the high school I went to. I got to see Special Needs classrooms, and I loved working with those kids. Very unique and sweet, and I wanted to be an advocate for them, so I kind of bridged the gap between medicine and education and got my degree,” Faulkner said.
A typical day in the life skills classes at LSHS is just like any other typical schedule; the students have electives and different subjects.
“There’s something new that happens almost every day. We cover a wide range of content and levels within those content areas, so the kids get additional time with different electives. Some are sped, some are gen-ed, and then we have different math classes, reading classes, daily living skills classes, and pre-vocational work classes,” Faulkner said.
Some students spend time working with the life skills classes as part of the Pier Inclusive classes offered. They said they want to go into the field of working students in life skills classes.
“I think that it is so rewarding to see how much they are going to grow, and they are also so adorable such a relief to see them after a long day,” senior Marissa Shugrue said.
Just like any teaching job, the days can be stressful. Faulkner said there’s a variety of ways she stays connected to her classroom.
“I think as long as I can remember why I’m here and who I’m supporting, that helps me get through some of the tougher days where it feels overwhelming,” Faulkner said.
Faulkner said she also relies on the experience of others when the work days are stressful.
“My family and friends have specifically worked in a similar setting. We all use each other for that support because it’s very specific. So it’s nice to have someone else who’s done it too, to be able to let it out because they understand,” Faulkner said.
It’s always good to have support, but teachers also need to know what they can and can’t do.
“It is so important knowing my limits and setting those boundaries for myself, but I think that’s kind of important to remember to do. But I’m sure everyone forgets to do that, but yeah, knowing your limits and being okay with having limits,” Faulkner said.
Working in the field of education, self-control and patience are important to have when the day is becoming stressful and there are a lot of interruptions.
“Interruptions. That happens a lot down here, and so we have to be flexible, adaptable, and patient. So I guess that would be how we also overcome it. Then we have to help the students, kind of learn that sort of thinking as well,” SPED teacher Amy Glover said.
Teachers work with colleagues and families to provide for their students.
“So with parents, we try to support in this school what they need at home as well, and we try to work with parents on sending those things home as well so that we all have the same expectations for the Kids. We coordinate after-school activities with parents, sports, and things like that, like a lot of kids in different kinds of sports, both sped and Gen Ed, and then other professionals,” Glover said.
It’s also very important for cooperation with the world around them.
“We coordinate with the administration for any of our bigger concerns and issues that are kind of out of our hands. We collaborate with therapists, such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and Vision therapists, we coordinate with them to integrate their techniques into their daily learning so that they’re meeting those skills or getting those skills put into their routine so that they can develop there too,” Glover said.
The life skills classes provide an opportunity for students across the building to learn from each other, and to remove stereotypes about people with disabilities.
“I feel as if they don’t look at them as normal teenagers who like to participate in sports and watch all the sports events, they are just like the rest of us they just have a few different traits than you,” Glover said.