My Teaching Journey
Growing up, I think I always knew I was going to become a teacher, even if I didn’t consciously know it at the time. Of course I had so many different ideas that changed what felt like every 2 seconds. I jumped from broadway singer, to scientist/inventor, professional athlete, the list could go one. But then in high school, I took 2 elective classes that completely changed my life. Adaptive PE peer coach, and as class as a teacher's aid in a special education math class. And I loved it. I loved interacting with the students in those environments and I loved the Special education staff. I took those classes my Junior and Senior year which I feel set me up for success in my college program.
After I graduated from high school I attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley Colorado. There I studied special education and got my degree in K-12 Special education generalist. While there I ran for the UNCO track and cross country teams, started a running club, joined the swimming club, joined the organizations called best buddies and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and joined a sorority. I took ASL classes, classes on how to teach math and reading to students, a class about the IEP and so much more. Throughout my time at UNCO I definitely had my ups and my downs, but I am overall grateful for my experience there. I feel that UNCO prepared me VERY well for my career now as a teacher.
Six months after graduating from UNCO, I got my first job as a Severe Support Needs teacher in a high school. And to say my first year was hard is an understatement. I struggled to plan my time right, I struggled with classroom management, I really struggled advocating for myself. I had classes in college that taught me different strategies for all these things, but how to implement them was really hard for me. I think that is due to my lack of confidence in myself. And now looking back on that year and comparing it to where I am at now, I now realize that I really lacked guidance. I was a part of a mentorship/induction program, and my mentor was really nice, I just did not feel the any support from them. And that goes for my Vice Principal as well. Nice person but do not feel like I had the support I needed at the time. At the end of that year, there was a big group of us that were asked to resign for various reasons, and at that time I totally panicked that I was a terrible teacher. Fortunately I had a good friend that had been teaching at that school for 5+ years, and was a phenomenal teacher and coach and was asked to resign just like I was. And they helped me calm down and realize that I was a good teacher and that the request for many of us to resign was VERY unusual.
After leaving my first school, I started working at a Deaf and Blind school in a transition program. And this is where I think I started to regain my confidence in who I was and am. I taught 18-21 year olds who were either deaf or blind with additional conditions, life and work skills. And I loved it. I worked in that program for about 5 ½ years and am forever grateful for those experiences. I learned how to network with community businesses, I learned how to teach to the varying levels within my classroom. I learned how to meet the needs of both deaf and blind students. I will be forever grateful for that experience. Why? Because in the middle of the 2023-2024 school year the Deaf+/Deaf with Disabilities position within the Deaf school on campus opened up and I felt that it was time for a new chapter in my career. I am still at the same campus, just in a different department. And I LOVE my new position. Serving Deaf students with additional conditions and needs is what I am called to do in this time of my life. And the experience I had in the transition department and seeing the skills the students did not have when they came to transition has really shaped how I teach my students now. I want to make sure that when my students go to that program, they are truly ready for it. In this position I feel more confident and able to be not just a good teacher but a GREAT teacher. I can honestly say that I LOVE my job.
Understand this is a short and condensed version of the story. There are so many things I could touch on and talk about, such as teaching through COVID, the multiple different “hats” I have had to metaphorically wear since starting teaching. But those are different stories for a different day. I hope you have enjoyed reading along and learning about my teaching journey as much as I have loved living it. I would love to know some of your teaching stories. Feel free to leave your stories in the comment or send them over to me and I would love to connect with you.
Much love, Janey
