I have been working with special needs students for over 25 years. Ever since I was asked by my 5th grade teacher to help other students in the classroom with their work I have enjoyed finding ways to increase understanding. Experiencing the "light bulb" moment with a student keeps the passion for teaching alive in my heart, and seeing students go on to succeed where they once struggled is amazing. My education and degree are in Special Education and Psychology, and my career has been spent building individualized program plans and objectives for students that meet their needs and are built on their strengths and interests. I believe that every student can learn given appropriate, high -interest teaching methods and materials delivered by a competent teacher who they trust. Students need to feel successful in order to engage in optimal learning experiences, so rapport building is key in working with children. In order to foster that feeling of early success, I use the explicit instruction model of I Do-We Do-You Do. I also borrow from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) by using errorless teaching when introducing something new. to a student in order to keep them from making mistakes and having a negative experience. Love of life-long learning for students is built upon feeling good about their abilities and having rewarding school experiences.