Saturday, February 7, 2015

What Do I See? The 3 P's

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

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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.

-          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.

-          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.

-          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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