Post by Brian Hughes – Brian has been a Special Education Teacher for 13 years, the past 8 at Bettendorf High School as a
resource and functional skills teacher. You can follow Brian on Twitter: @bwhuz
Click here to Hear From the Author
Click here to Hear From the Author
When I agreed to do a blog, I figured it would be pretty
straight forward. I planned to write
about all the things that make Bettendorf High School a great place to
work. When you have great students,
talented faculty, a dedicated administration, and a staff that makes you smile,
it sure seems that it would be pretty easy to write a blog. I realized,
however, that trying to explain to others just how great each area is would be
far too long; each area mentioned above could easily fill a blog and then
some. I certainly feel lucky to be a
part of the Bettendorf Community Schools and I decided to write about one
thing I feel very strongly about:
Bettendorf High School has a group of outstanding teachers and para educators. Collectively, they epitomize the foundations
of our district.
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I see hard working teachers who demonstrate
their PASSION daily. They come in
early and stay late to prepare for their students. When I tell parents that someone will be
available to help their student, I say it with the utmost confidence. Everyone supports each other and will be
there for “our” students even if that particular student’s teacher is not
available due to other obligations.
Bettendorf teachers not only lift up their students, they lift up each
other.
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I see teachers who go about their day with great
PURPOSE. I see teachers who take a perfectly good
curriculum and completely re-design/re-invent it. They want to provide experiences that not
many high school students get. They want to provide real world experiences that
students will be able to draw on in the future.
They do this because they are driven to make everything better. I see teachers who have the ability and
dedication to differentiate materials to a point that allows all students to
have an opportunity to succeed, not just most students. They want all students to feel they will have
success if they put forth the effort.
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I see teachers and para educators who absolutely
inspire me with their sense of PRIDE in
the profession. This is why I have always loved the opportunity to go to other
classrooms; I am always amazed at the creativity in lessons, at the ability to
manage a classroom of up to 30 students and the capacity so many have to build
a genuine relationship of trust with so many students. I see para educators that make up the best
group I’ve ever worked with. Each is
excellent in their approach to working with students, yet does so in a unique
way. I believe this offers students a
great opportunity for growth, as they must adjust to working with individuals
with universally high, yet slightly varied, expectations.
Of course, one could never capture all the things that
teachers and para educators do on a daily basis to make Bettendorf High School
a great place for students and adults alike. I've only touched on the tip of
the iceberg. I’m proud to tell others I
work here and especially proud to tell them how I feel about my
co-workers. And just to think, this is
only one of a number of factors that makes Bettendorf Community School District
a great place to work.
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