Fontbonne University Teaching Assistant to Department Chair Testimonial Piece

MY TR ANSITION FROM T E AC H I N G A S S I S TA N T TO D E PA R T M E N T C H A I R

Title Here

My transition from teaching assistant to department chair _______ I took a few detours on my journey to becoming

Soon after that, I was hired by the Special

I started college at the University of Missouri-

Administrators noticed my passion and

a special education teacher. A St. Louis native, Columbia as a special ed major, but I ended up

switching to geography. When I graduated, I went

to work for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. The job was fine, but within a few years I knew it just wasn’t for me.

I started substitute teaching at my old high school

School District to work as a paraprofessional. encouraged me to go back to school. I’d been

fortunate enough to learn from some wonderful

special education instructors, and I wanted to put myself on a career path toward becoming one of them. That’s how I ended up at Fontbonne.

and was instantly drawn toward the kids with

disabilities. I loved working with them and watching them flourish under the direction of brilliant,

dedicated teachers. Even though I had changed my mind about going into special education

before, this time I knew there was no turning back.

This was the career I was meant to pursue.

continued

fontbonne.edu

Fontbonne University is well known in this area of the field of education, and their reputation for service-oriented academic rigor piqued

my interest. As I began looking into the special

master’s program designed for paraprofessionals (MAT in Special Education: Paraprofessional

Pathways), I realized it was the perfect fit for my needs and goals.

I enrolled and spent the next couple of years

My experience as a

paraprofessional provided me with a foundational understanding of the

classroom and the needs of students with disabilities, but my time at Fontbonne provided me with the

training I needed to take that next step.

developing the skills I needed while continuing to work as a paraprofessional. Since it was

designed for people who already work full time,

My experience at Fontbonne played a significant

that made sense for my lifestyle. The content

recommend the program to anyone whose story

the Pathways program was structured in a way was rigorous but manageable, and I was able

to immediately apply what I was learning in the classroom at work every day.

The curriculum covered everything I needed to

know to be successful as a special ed instructor.

There were classes on behavior management, counseling techniques, learner development, reading and writing instruction, assessment

and more. My experience as a paraprofessional

provided me with a foundational understanding

role in getting me to where I am today, and I highly is similar to mine. If you’re looking into continuing your education, you already know that doing

so involves a significant time commitment. The

benefit of the Pathways program, though, is that

it was created for people just like us who already lead busy, sometimes stressful lives, so the

workload is completely manageable. You’ll also

be part of an incredibly supportive environment

where the connections you make with faculty and fellow students can last a lifetime.

of the classroom and the needs of students with

As someone who’s been doing this work for many

with the training I needed to take that next step.

have chosen a more rewarding career. Anyone who

disabilities, but my time at Fontbonne provided me

After graduation, I started working as a special

education teacher and eventually came to chair the department at my school, Mehlville High.

Every day, I get to help our teachers create an

educational environment that fosters learning,

creativity and joy. I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time.

years now, I can say without a doubt that I couldn’t

works in the field of special education knows it isn’t always easy, but there’s nothing I love more than

watching our students prepare to lead full, happy,

successful lives. I’m forever grateful to Fontbonne University and the Paraprofessional Pathways

program for equipping me with the tools I needed to serve my students — and my school — well.

fontbonne.edu

Fontbonne University

6800 Wydown Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63105 1-800-205-5862

fbyou@fontbonne.edu www.fontbonne.edu

© 2021 Fontbonne University. All Rights Reserved.

#