Exceptional Student Services
By Atlantia Aquarian
Everyone student can LEARN just not on the same day or in the same way.
At Animas High School, Exceptional Student Services (ESS) is lead by an amazing group of people that supports students with varied educational needs. Some students have disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities, and some are identified as Gifted/Talented. Our group of ESS teachers help to accommodate every student in the way they need, which can vary from helping in the classroom, providing a work space, working one on one, or having a quiet work place.
Some people are drawn to helping students with exceptional needs. Across the board, ESS teachers have a passion for helping students. Heather Prekup, one of our three ESS teachers, stated, “I love being able to help students find their love for learning.” Cyle Talley, another ESS teacher, mentioned, “I suppose for the same reasons that some teachers are drawn to English or Math or Art. No matter what subject, age group, or need, teachers want to help students prosper and flourish. I appreciate flexibility and value one-on-one face time with students, and the ESS department provides a lot of it.” Ally Johnson, a former ESS teacher, proclaimed “I wanted to become an ESS teacher because I believe in inclusion, that all students should be able to learn in a classroom with their peers. I was concerned that some students were being excluded, and I wanted to help ensure that they were receiving equal opportunities.” The passion for helping exceptional needs students is very important for these ESS teachers.
Great ESS teachers are patient and flexible. According to Heather Prekup the key is, “tapping into what they are already interested in.” She works to “help them realize their potential and getting them to get past what they feel like they are bad at.” Also, the personality and energy of these teachers has a lasting effect on students. Students that are already struggling to stay motivated would have a difficult time working with someone that doesn’t want to be doing the work either. Heather mentioned, “being patient and dedicated is most important. Patience to understand that all students need different things at different times, and also that there might not always be an easy solution. You also have to be dedicated to finding those solutions for students.” There are a lot of pieces that go into making the work with ESS students successful, such as attitude, flexibility, and patience.
There are challenges that come with working with students with special needs. Heather Prekup stated, “Every day can be a different challenge. Today it is trying to support a student that can’t leave his house because of social anxiety. Yesterday it was troubleshooting how to serve a 9th grade student on a 2nd grade reading level. The most challenging part is when you feel like you can’t reach a student no matter how hard you try, that’s why this job takes determination. It’s the only way to overcome those challenges.” Ally Johnson expressed something somewhat similar to Heather as well, “like all students, it can be challenging to work with ESS students who are struggling with attendance issues or low motivation. It's hard to help students who are absent all the time, or who have given up altogether.” Being a teacher in general can be hard, but being a special education teacher brings a much more involved and different set of challenges.
It is important to know and understand this field because the population of students that are being served within it is growing all the time and we need these exceptional teachers to help guide them. The importance of having our special education teachers is significant. Ally Johnson expresses “I loved being an ESS teacher because I got to form really close relationships with students, and see them make huge academic gains and epic learning wins. Helping ESS students find their passions and light their inner "fires" has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my teaching career.” Everyone should be able to reach their goals and with the support of exceptional student services, students with special learning needs can overcome their difficulties and reach their potential just like their peers.
By Atlantia Aquarian
Everyone student can LEARN just not on the same day or in the same way.
At Animas High School, Exceptional Student Services (ESS) is lead by an amazing group of people that supports students with varied educational needs. Some students have disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities, and some are identified as Gifted/Talented. Our group of ESS teachers help to accommodate every student in the way they need, which can vary from helping in the classroom, providing a work space, working one on one, or having a quiet work place.
Some people are drawn to helping students with exceptional needs. Across the board, ESS teachers have a passion for helping students. Heather Prekup, one of our three ESS teachers, stated, “I love being able to help students find their love for learning.” Cyle Talley, another ESS teacher, mentioned, “I suppose for the same reasons that some teachers are drawn to English or Math or Art. No matter what subject, age group, or need, teachers want to help students prosper and flourish. I appreciate flexibility and value one-on-one face time with students, and the ESS department provides a lot of it.” Ally Johnson, a former ESS teacher, proclaimed “I wanted to become an ESS teacher because I believe in inclusion, that all students should be able to learn in a classroom with their peers. I was concerned that some students were being excluded, and I wanted to help ensure that they were receiving equal opportunities.” The passion for helping exceptional needs students is very important for these ESS teachers.
Great ESS teachers are patient and flexible. According to Heather Prekup the key is, “tapping into what they are already interested in.” She works to “help them realize their potential and getting them to get past what they feel like they are bad at.” Also, the personality and energy of these teachers has a lasting effect on students. Students that are already struggling to stay motivated would have a difficult time working with someone that doesn’t want to be doing the work either. Heather mentioned, “being patient and dedicated is most important. Patience to understand that all students need different things at different times, and also that there might not always be an easy solution. You also have to be dedicated to finding those solutions for students.” There are a lot of pieces that go into making the work with ESS students successful, such as attitude, flexibility, and patience.
There are challenges that come with working with students with special needs. Heather Prekup stated, “Every day can be a different challenge. Today it is trying to support a student that can’t leave his house because of social anxiety. Yesterday it was troubleshooting how to serve a 9th grade student on a 2nd grade reading level. The most challenging part is when you feel like you can’t reach a student no matter how hard you try, that’s why this job takes determination. It’s the only way to overcome those challenges.” Ally Johnson expressed something somewhat similar to Heather as well, “like all students, it can be challenging to work with ESS students who are struggling with attendance issues or low motivation. It's hard to help students who are absent all the time, or who have given up altogether.” Being a teacher in general can be hard, but being a special education teacher brings a much more involved and different set of challenges.
It is important to know and understand this field because the population of students that are being served within it is growing all the time and we need these exceptional teachers to help guide them. The importance of having our special education teachers is significant. Ally Johnson expresses “I loved being an ESS teacher because I got to form really close relationships with students, and see them make huge academic gains and epic learning wins. Helping ESS students find their passions and light their inner "fires" has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my teaching career.” Everyone should be able to reach their goals and with the support of exceptional student services, students with special learning needs can overcome their difficulties and reach their potential just like their peers.