I have taught a variety of students, including those with autism, health impairments, emotional/behavioral disabilities, cognitive disabilities and learning disabilities. These experiences as well as my experiences with non-disabled students have allowed me to strengthen my skills to become a better teacher. During my practicum and student teaching experiences, I have used a variety of curriculum including constructivist and explicit programs. This also included adapting lessons to make them more explicit for those students who needed it, while preserving the big idea of the lesson. I have had an opportunity to conduct regular formative and summative assessments in order to meet the individual needs of each of my students and thereby driving my instruction. Working with different curriculum programs has allowed me to quickly learn and adapt my instruction to better fit the individual needs of my students. Keeping my students interested, motivated and successful with the lessons being taught dramatically reduces class disruptions and increases active learning time.Throughout my experiences, whether working in the schools, or in the private sector, I have learned that having excellent management skills is a must to be an effective leader. Setting clear classroom expectations, effectively managing disruptive behaviors, and increasing desirable behaviors are essential to a productive classroom. I realize the importance of making activities intriguing, fun, novel and exciting in order to capture and maintain my students’ interest. As a teacher, I am always ready to listen, learn, reflect, collaborate and adapt my teaching strategies in order to best meet the individual needs and promote success for all students. I hold high expectations not only for myself but also for my students and believe that we are all capable of learning. My experiences and training in the special education and general education field would make me an excellent candidate.