Partner Interview with
Yolanda Orta
The Basics
Q: What population do you work with?
A: I instruct students that are in self-contained cross categorical history and resource classes. I teach four self-contained instructional classes in the areas of U.S. history, World Geography, and World Studies. I also teach one resource class. The population consists of students who have learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and emotional disabilities. some students have secondary disabilities such as visually impaired/blind, hearing impaired and physically impaired. The students in my classes are mixed in age and grade level. I work with students in grades 9-12, ages 14-19 (Although in the past I have had a student that was 21 years old), most are English speakers but there are also bilingual students. Most students with cognitive disabilities are picked up by bus. My classes are diverse not only in disabilities but in race (Caucasian, Polish, African-American, Latino, and Asian).
Q: What do you like about your job?
A: I enjoy being involved in student's growth and independence. I like having the flexibility to work with students at a slow pace where they all have the opportunity to learn and ask questions. I also enjoy working individually with students or in small groups where you can get to know the way they think and learn best.
Q: What is challenging about your job?
A: There are many things that are challenging when working with students with disabilities, two of the most challenging for me are meeting the needs of all students when there are different ability levels in the class and helping administrators and general education teachers understand and recognize the differences in students needs to that of the average student. Another challenge of this job is the level of expectations that one, as an educator, has for each student. Making sure that students are learning something useful and retaining information.
Looking Back
Q: How do you feel your university courses prepared you for teaching?
A: I believe that my coursework taught me a foundation as to what education is and how one educates/instructs a special population. They provided me with many opportunities to observe early on in my major that allowed me time to decide if this was the right field for me. Then continue with a junior student teaching in which I could interact with students, tutor,and instruct for part of the day. And finally with the real student teaching.
Q: What was the most helpful thing about university course work?
A: It was helpful that I was provided with lessons that involved hands on activities using real life experiences. It also helped that the teachers were very knowledgeable with many years of experience.
Q: What about student teaching?
A: I worked with more than one good mentor teacher at each setting. Also I was able to student teach in different setting, different subjects with different types of disabilities in both elementary and high school levels.
The first year
Q: What was your first year of teaching like?
A: It was very difficult. The first school that I ever worked at had no materials and books for the special ed classes. I remember thinking "what have I gotten myself into?" I was very frustrated but as the weeks went by, I began to feel better. I began to learn a few things: work with what you have, don't be afraid of trial and error, and realize that the methods provided through course work work sometimes, but at times they need to be modified for the group of students you are working with at varied situations.
Q: What was easy/hard?
A: Easy: Working and relating to kids
Hard: A need for induction into the school environment, frustration of working with unmotivated students and expecting students to be self-motivated, lack of parent involvement, dealing with environmental factors that students might bring to the classroom.
Q: What kept you going?
A: Seeing kids succeed, knowing that I played a role in their accomplishments and learning progress.
Legacy
Q: What is the message you would like to give to those preparing to teach?
A: Make sure you are in teaching for the right reasons. Be a people person, willing to collaborate with staff, parents and most of all students. Be flexible and open minded, ready to adapt.
Q: What is the most important thing about teaching/becoming a teacher?
A: To be willing to listen and learn as much as you are willing to teach. Learn from your experiences your mistakes and your successes. Be innovative in methodology to meet the needs of the individual and your entire class.
