I firmly believe that knowledge is power and I strive to relay this message to my students as well. Each day I have the opportunity to teach, but I also have the opportunity to learn. In my career, I have had the chance to grow from being a special education teacher to an instructional coach, and to an elementary school special education coordinator as well. I have worked with students ages 5-21 with a wide range of disabilities varying in severity. I have worked in the public school setting, teaching in a resource room and supporting in the general education environment. I have also worked as an instructional coach, mentoring fellow special educators, reviewing their lesson plans, observing their teaching, and providing thoughtful feedback and lesson practice opportunities. For the last two years, I worked as a special education teacher in a private placement setting for students with Autism and other behavioral disorders.Additionally, I was able to work as a special education coordinator, managing a caseload of 40+ students with IEPs and 504 plans as well as a team of educators and paraprofessionals. I am currently continuing this work part-time in addition to my full-time teaching position. This role has taught me so much about my work ethic, leadership and time management skills, as well as my determination to provide high-level, thoughtfully written, and expertly planned IEPs for students and families. I hold myself and my teams to a high standard as we provide the best academic support and intervention we can. While I've had the opportunities to work in different settings and at different levels, I am always ready to learn and grow in order to be the best teacher, leader, and teammate I can be.