PHILOSOPHY
It is not enough that every child has the right to a free and appropriate public education. Every child should also have the right to experience the love of learning and the pride of personal accomplishment. In my roles as a social worker, counselor, advocate, liaison, teacher, tutor and disability specialist, my focus has always been on helping the children who didn’t quite fit into the ‘main stream’ find their way to success. Over the years I have had the good fortune to teach many exceptional children with a wide spectrum of abilities. Their diversity has allowed me the opportunity to personally assess both the benefits and drawbacks of specific teaching methods and materials on specific neuro-developmental challenges. I learned to win the trust of my students and their parents through honesty, compassion, integrity, and absolute respect for their personal interests and individual needs. Families of exceptional children form a very close-knit community for support, and I was honored to participate in that community. It wasn’t until the premature birth of my own son, however, that I truly understood the effect a disability can have on an entire family unit, the level of prejudice and social stigma that still exists toward anyone ‘different;’ or the sheer joy that an exceptional child brings to your life. It is the duality of my experience with exceptional children as a mother and a teacher that has offered me the opportunity to invest the time and effort necessary to become an extraordinary asset to anyone involved in this unique community. EDUCATION
MASTER OF EDUCATION: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION May 1998 ~ Worcester State College ~ Worcester, Massachusetts
BACHELOR OF ARTS: PSYCHOLOGY August 1990 ~ Assumption College ~ Worcester, Massachusetts
CERTIFICATIONS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: STUDENTS WITH & WITHOUT DISABILITIES Massachusetts Certification # 344197
LEAD TEACHER: PRESCHOOL Massachusetts Certification # 9506302
CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DIRECTOR PERMIT California Certification # 081100525
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