Mrs. Surber's move to Canada

Jisoo Hur

Mrs. Surber will retire from the Los Altos School District as a special education teacher to move to Canada by the next school year.

Mrs. Surber has been serving in this field as a teacher since 2016, starting at Covington Elementary School for a year and moving to Blach the next. I’ve only taught in this district,” Mrs. Surber says.

“I was very intimidated [at first]…I kind of jumped right in and definitely got overwhelmed [But I am] very grateful, it was a fun year. It’s been really special.”

Originally from Orange County, Mrs Surber attended Catholic schools, which typically do not have any special education programs. Without any formal experience, Mrs. Surber applied to help at a camp for those with disabilities. She “went to volunteer, and fell in love with it.”

“[I] tried a bunch of different fields at first, because I saw how burnt out special education teachers were I was scared of being burnt out. It's a beautiful field but it is overwhelming,” Mrs. Surber says However, Mrs Surber enjoys the experience and has gained a lot from the years.

“I went into my teaching program feeling that I probably knew everything I was supposed to know,” She remembers. After all, Mrs. Surber had been volunteering within the field for around a decade. “I learned that there is always something to learn.” right now, [which is] both exciting and scary Change is okay.”

Through teaching special education students, Mrs Surber experienced "just a lot of perspective, empathy, and new understandings. For me, the students all really stand out as unique people; they're all special.

I’ve gained appreciation for human life, for parents, families…I have the pleasure to keep in touch with graduated students. It's really special to me ”

Mrs. Surber’s jump to Canada will not be an easy ride. While her husband has Canadian citizenship, and they have “alway wanted to go,” the school year will be already underway by the time they move.

The first year, she plans to learn about Canadian school systems and see if they are similar to the Californian system If she feels “ready to change things up,” Mrs. Surber is considering working in other communities for people with disabilities, or doing mental health counseling.

“I really don't know the future

Although Mrs. Surber will be leaving, her time at Blach will never be forgotten. “My experience of teaching has influenced so many things about life…[I appreciate] how generous and open and close knit this community is I feel that I've been welcomed since day one.”

The relationships between staff members are a gift from being a teacher. She appreciates that her fellow co-workers “have been very kind and open to trying new things and learning to ignore the less pretty part” of her job. In addition, experiencing first hand her students’ growth and progress is one of her favorite parts as well.

“Blach has been such a wonderful place to work at,” Mrs Surber added as a final thought. “I’m really going to miss everyone.”