Elizabeth, how long have you worked in education and can you explain your role at Tobin?
I've worked in education for the past seven years. I'm currently a Special Education Teacher working with Lower Elementary. My role is to provide support to students who have a disability that impacts their learning, such as ADHD, Autism or dyslexia. I provide a structured, sequential, multi-sensory approach to learning to read, write or calculate for those students who need a slightly different style to learn. I work with students both in and out of the classroom, depending on their needs.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of being a Special Educator is getting to know each child I work with. I work with students in a one-on-one or small group setting which allows me the opportunity to get to know each of them very well. As a classroom teacher your attention is always divided between many children but when you only have two or three kids at a time you can focus on them, their needs and their interests. I also love working with families to turn a struggling child into a successful learner. I love watching children who had been struggling readers devour a book. The children on my caseload have all struggled to learn and many have felt unsuccessful as learners. When I can work with families and classroom teachers to support those children, get them what they need, and see them make growth, then I know I have the best job on the earth.
What are your biggest challenges day to day?
Typically my biggest challenge is time. There's never quite enough time to run my full schedule and collaborate with the classroom teachers as much as I'd like to.
What are some of the things you've accomplished (professional and/or extra curricular) of which you are most proud?
I'm proud of the fact that I've run four marathons. I've been able to run the Boston Marathon twice, which is something I'm very proud of. I've volunteered with Comfort Zone Camp, a free camp for kids ages 7-17 who've lost a parent, guardian or sibling, for the last seven years. I'm very proud of the work I've done with CZC, and I consider volunteering with them to be one to be one of the best things I've ever done. When I volunteer for a camp weekend I'm matched 1-1 with a "little buddy" who has experienced a loss. We spend the weekend kayaking, doing a challenge course, playing and of course, also work on sharing stories and learning coping skills. The kids who come to Comfort Zone Camp are often not the children that leave. They've made connections, become empowered, and know that they're not alone in their loss. I've had the privilege of watching a few of my buddies come back to camp again and again. They're amazing, mature, kind, reflective people and I'm proud to have played a small role in their story.