I’m a North Carolina State Board Highly Qualified Exceptional Children’s Teacher with a master’s degree in education, majoring in Special Education, and a master’s degree in psychology, majoring in Educational Psychology and Counseling. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in special education and a Post Graduate Professional Diploma in Special Education with a concentration in Intellectual Disabilities. I am pursuing school administration at Barton College in Willson, NC, USA. I provide direct services to students with exceptionalities, exemplifying the best in special education teaching. For the past 11 years, I have been teaching exceptional children in grades 9 through 12, ranging in age from 14 to 22, at Northwest Collegiate and Technical Academy in Halifax County Schools, North Carolina, USA. My current focus is on empowering high school students to take charge of their future through creative education and personalized engagement. I am committed to individualizing instruction to serve all students with care and inclusivity, drawing from my 20 years of experience in the field of education. I have ample experience working with whole children from elementary to high school level.
As an educator, I base my actions and plans on students’ interests, learning styles, and exceptionalities, as well as their cultural and specific learning abilities. At the start of each school year, I invest time in understanding each students’ interests, talents, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and learning styles. This enables me to creatively adapt my lessons to align with each student’s interests, ultimately strengthening their intrinsic motivation and creating a productive and positive learning environment. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I serve voluntarily as a board member of the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children and as president of NC-DADD. I also work as a facilitator and co-host, responsible for monitoring technology and troubleshooting tech issues during conferences. I mentor beginning and peer teachers, assisting with supervising and planning duties and responsibilities. Additionally, I provide support for instructional activities involving paraprofessionals in both classroom and community settings. Outside of the classroom, I fulfill various roles including being a member of the School Improvement team, District Special Olympics committee, District Autism parent- teacher association, District MTSS, PBIS chairperson, and EC Dept. IEP chairperson. Since 2013, I have also served as the head coach of the Special Olympics at both the local and state levels for my students.
Beyond my professional life, I have a passion for playing tennis and practicing yoga. I am a proud parent of two children and am fortunate to have a wonderful wife who is also an outstanding math teacher in Halifax County schools. Being selected as a participant in this esteemed program is a true honor, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Both personally and professionally, this opportunity holds immense value for me, and I am truly honored to be a part of this esteemed program. Once again, thank you for believing in me, and I eagerly anticipate embarking on this exciting journey with the EPFP community.