Chatequa Campbell is our final winner of our Special Education Spotlight for Teacher Appreciation Week 2018. She is the Lead Special Education Teacher in the K-2 Self-Contained classroom at Ingenuity Prep Pubic Charter School in Washington, DC. Chatequa was nominated by a former colleague of hers who felt that she was a shining example of a teacher committed to engaging parents in the IEP process and giving her students the tools and resources they needed to get to the next level. As a thank you from all of us here at MindWorks Collaborative, Chatequa will receive a gift card and certificate of appreciation. We thank our community for all of the great submissions and nominations and plan to shout them all out on tomorrow. However, keep reading here to learn more about Chatequa!

How long have you worked in special education?

• 8 years

What is your favorite aspect of working in SPED?

• I love having the flexibility to meet students where they are and providing them with tools and resources to access general education curriculum. I also enjoy watching them overcome challenges and when they develop confidence in areas that were once struggles.

What is one accomplishment at work that you are most proud of? Why?

• One accomplishment I am most proud of this school year is getting all my students to enjoy reading independently for a sustained period of time. I work with students who have many reading difficulties but now independent reading time is a part of the day that they enjoy most. They get to go book shopping in our level library to read books that are on their independent reading level. I remember making that one of my reading goals for all my students and I have achieved that goal this so school year which is super exciting!

What past experiences helped to prepare you for your current role?

• I have been prepared to teach in this role in numerous ways. In graduate school I studied Special Education and earned a degree in teaching students with Mild to Moderate Special Needs. Prior to teaching at Ingenuity I taught inclusion at the kindergarten level for 4 years. Teaching kindergarten allowed me to know what the foundational skills were in Literacy, Math, and Writing. I use this knowledge when I am teaching my current students who have some weaknesses in reading fundamentals.

What keeps you motivated day in and day out?

• I am most motivated by students’ growth and triumphs each day. During this time of year, I do a lot of reflection around where students have grown. My student’s parents also keep me motivated because they appreciate the work we do with their children daily especially being in a self-contained classroom. Parents are excited that their children are making gains and that they are happy and excited about coming to school each day.

What is one special ritual you have to start or end your day at work?

• One ritual that I have at the start of each day is to meditate and to set my intention for the school day. It helps me to stay grounded and in moments where I don’t feel like my best teacher self, I remind myself of my intention for myself and my students. For example, sometimes I tell myself I will be peaceful and joyful that day. I use this to be the guiding light for the day and to think about my interactions, tone, delivery of content, etc. It has been really helpful for me.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring or new special education teacher, what would it be?

• If I could give advice to a new special educator I would tell them: We all make mistakes. Be patient with yourself, it’s a learning curve. Make sure to connect with all your students and to learn their personalities. This is the way you will learn what works best for them. You don’t have to do it alone, ask for help and rely on your community. You will discover your teaching style by trying out different things. Just teach with your heart!