Why I teach
I became a special education teacher during the pandemic. I only completed two months of student teaching before my Bronx high school shut down all in-person learning and we transitioned online. It was an extremely traumatic time for all teachers, but my school mourned the loss of a security guard and multiple immediate and extended family members of students and educators. The losses hit especially hard because the school community already was struggling with poverty and pre-existing health conditions. Most students in my school have Autism and intellectual disabilities and many are nonverbal. I started teaching full time in another Bronx secondary school in the fall. The students in my seventh grade class struggled with the online format and missed the full sensory experiences and school support they were used to. Some of my students screamed at the camera when they were frustrated and others went missing for a few weeks.
I remember constantly texting and calling parents in between classes to make sure they understood the class schedule. I checked in to see if my students were doing okay. Parents showed up for class with their children and were partners in their child’s education. It was a humbling experience to see my students with their moms on camera and to have my students show off their rooms and art.
Most of the time while I was teaching, parents stayed on camera to support their child in writing sentences, computing math problems and to repeat questions to their children or ask questions of me. Despite all the difficulties of the pandemic, I felt confident in my connections with parents and other caregivers. Teachers and counselors in my school made home visits to deliver school supplies and care packages. We showed up for families and grieved with them.
Even though I changed schools, I will never forget how my first experience teaching students with severe disabilities during the pandemic shaped me as an educator. Teaching is about connecting with students and meeting them where they are. The pandemic showed the world that life changes in an instant. I stay in my profession because of my students. One of my first students still emails me every holiday. I am so proud to see his milestones and to see him grow up into a young adult.
