Bernadette K.

“ In my past career as a retail manager, I started a program to transition students with disabilities from school to work in a Northern Illinois community. I had four students in the morning and three in the afternoon. Each student was trained on sizing, colorizing, recognizing missing tickets, and the correct sizes of each department, as well as the correct department numbers. Visual binders were created to teach...

In my past career as a retail manager, I started a program to transition students with disabilities from school to work in a Northern Illinois community. I had four students in the morning and three in the afternoon. Each student was trained on sizing, colorizing, recognizing missing tickets, and the correct sizes of each department, as well as the correct department numbers. Visual binders were created to teach the students what to look for and how to recognize department numbers. A few of the students unpacked luggage, and ticketed and censored the luggage. I decide to return to school for my master's degree in Special Education when one of my students (after one and a half years of training in the development) turned to a new student and said, " Follow me, and I will show you what to do and how to do the job." That's all it took for me to stop, smile, and know that patience, time, trust and reward can be more fulfilling. At that moment, I knew that he had grown into the coach for the new students. I will never forget how proud I was at that moment for them. Currently, I am ending my first school year for students who have severe and profound disabilities. I enjoy the photography classes, theater, graphic arts, reading, math, and writing classes that I have learned to teach. Reward is daily and the joy of knowing each student as an individual is priceless.
Post graduation from Roosevelt University, I am teaching at Hillside Academy for ED/BD students. I teach computer skills, social skills, reading, and transition to college or career after high school graduation.
I enjoy working with students who have a disability and am working on a goal to open a weekend program for parents needing a break and/or a date night.
Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day!

More ”