I’ve often been described as a ‘passionate’ Special Education Teacher. So what does it mean to teach with P.A.S.S.I.O.N:
- P is for Passion – commit to the profession of teaching, get excited about what you do and how you do it each day.
- A is for Advocacy – advocacy means educating key stakeholders (administration, teachers, parents) about the rights of students with special needs in the school setting and empowering the stakeholders to meet those rights.
- S is for Self-Awareness – reflecting upon your professional strengths and weaknesses and being open to feedback about your performance is critical to ongoing professional development.
- S is for Sense of Humor – if you can’t laugh at yourself and find the daily joys in being surrounded by children you’re in the wrong profession!
- I is for Inclusivity – breaking down the barriers to the most inclusive education in terms of academic content, physical environment and teaching strategies is the core business of the special educator.
- O is for Organization – knowing the curriculum, the students and having daily processes in place in terms of visuals routines, external reward systems and loads of structure will ensure a smooth-running classroom that will benefit all the students.
- N is for Nurturing – as teachers we spend our days nurturing others but, in order to maintain our passion for teaching, it is important to take the time to nurture our own hearts, minds and spirits too.