It has only taken Zoey one year to fall in love with Chaddock’s environment, people, and kids. After starting as residential support staff at Leathers Cottage, Zoey began teaching in January and has shown how much she has learned since then.
Zoey was not special education certified before working at Chaddock, but the school has supported her by helping her sign up for classes and financially backing her through that process.
Overcoming Fears in a Supportive Environment
Although Zoey had a few apprehensions when she was first starting, she said the large support system at Chaddock easily calmed her fears.
“Don’t get hung up on the fears that you might have because there are supports and you won’t be doing it alone. There are so many people in the Chaddock community that will help you through that and I’ve never felt alone.”
Within her classroom she says there is a tight-knit team of two paras who all communicate very well with each other. Along with the paras, the behavioral managers are always there to help make each day better for the kids.
“They’re constantly offering emotional support to both me and the students. They’re very supportive in all of the ways.”
Learning Alongside Her Students
Zoey says that as a first-year teacher, she’s gotten to learn so much more at Chaddock because of only having seven students in her class.
“The class sizes here are very small so you have a lot of time to work one-on-one with your kids, which you won’t get an opportunity to do that in a public school.” Zoey continues, “In my first year of teaching, I’ve gotten to learn so much more than I would have been able to in public school. Because I get that one-on-one, I get to do that direct instruction and it’s very nice.”
While each day is exciting, she maintains a calm classroom environment with routine that the kids understand. Zoey says that leaves a lot of room for fun and laughter.
“There are challenges, you know, there are some things that we have to deal with, but we can overcome those pretty easily and most days are fun days.”
Ready to make an impact like Zoey? Discover rewarding teaching opportunities at Chaddock School. Take the first step and apply today!
