Carpentersville teacher has passion for special education
Pamela Mahoney of Elgin has been a teacher for 20 years, 12 of them at the deLacey Family Education Center in Carpentersville, which serves 366 preschool-age students in Community Unit District 300. The majority of students at deLacey have special needs or disabilities, are English learners or come from low-income families.
Mahoney holds a master's degree in early childhood special education from Northeastern Illinois University, an ESL endorsement from Aurora University and is going back to school for a principal's endorsement. she has been nominated for the Educator of the Year Award by the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence.
The Daily Herald caught up with Mahoney to learn more about her work with special needs students.
Q. How many children are in your classroom, and what are their age ranges?
A. I work in a self-contained setting with preschoolers ranging from 3-5 years old. I typically have 10 students in both my morning and afternoon sessions. I have one program assistant and two one-on-one assistants that are assigned to specific students in my morning session.
Q. What motivated you to become an early childhood special needs teacher?
A. I have always wanted to be a special-education teacher because I have an uncle with special needs. When I was younger, I would stay at my grandparents' house and I would play "school" with my Uncle Matthew. I then eventually started volunteering at the Clearbrook Center, where he attended. I was hooked at an early age.
Q. Describe your teaching style and philosophy.
A. I see each one of my students as an individual and know that every child learns in their own unique way. I use a variety of methods and materials to teach all of my students in order to develop their own learning styles and potential.
My goal as a teacher is to assist each child by adjusting my teaching to their individual skill-set, allowing them to reach their highest potential. I incorporate a variety of tools and strategies to allow them to make their own choices to help them learn.
I also provide them with a safe environment with new experiences. Not only do my students learn, but I also learn something new everyday, which is so important.
Q. What do you find most rewarding about teaching special needs preschoolers? What do you find most challenging?
A. The most rewarding thing about teaching preschool to children with special needs is that I am able to make a difference in a student's life at a very early age. Early intervention is the key to success in this aged population.
I am able to frequently transition students to the least restrictive environment by gaining progress toward their goals and objectives listed on their IEP (individual education plan). This is a celebration for myself, the student, and their families.
The most challenging thing about teaching special needs preschoolers is that there is not enough time in a typical school day. It would always be better to have more time in the day to create more spontaneous learning opportunities and collaborate more frequently with my team.
Q. How are you successful in teaching behavioral and social skills? How do you involve parents in those efforts?
A. We use our Second Step curriculum to work on behavioral and social skills in the classroom. I am also a PBIS Coach here at deLacey. My team and I have modified parts of the Second Step curriculum to meet all the needs of our students. We made puppet videos for classroom use that helps us focus on our feelings. We also have Cool Tools for the students so they can learn what the expectations are at school.
Q. Tell us something about teaching early childhood students that people might be surprised to know or might underestimate.
A. When someone hears I teach preschool they might have a picture in their head about how we play, paint, sing songs or do other fun activities. When a 3-year-old comes walking through the doors for the first time at school it can be such a scary thing.
Preschool is very important in a child's early development, and we are working every day to help build their foundational skills to move onto the elementary environment. We have fun at preschool, but we don't get to just play all day. We have to teach them how to play and how to interact with another child.
Q. What do you do to relax in your free time - hobbies, sports, etc.?
A. I love watching my kids grow and making their own decisions in life. I have sat on many benches watching them hit a softball or baseball, jumping/running in track, or kicking a soccer ball down the field. Also … everyone who knows me knows that I love my Meijers! I love to shop for a bargain and find something cool for the classroom.