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"Only the brave should teach. Only those who love the young should teach. Teaching is a vocation. It is as sacred as priesthood; as innate a desire, as inescapable as the genius which compels a great artist. If he has not the concern for humanity, the love of living creatures, the vision of the priest and the artist, he must not teach." ~Pearl S. Buck |
~Julie Heller
Julie is a special education
teacher at Sandia High School in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. There, she teaches biology, chemistry, and
geology/astronomy to students in the ninth through
twelfth grades. She assists other teachers at
Sandia when they have questions about teaching science
to students with special needs. During the summer
of 2007, Julie attended a Materials Chemistry camp where
she joined teachers from across the country in learning
how to teach hands-on chemistry labs. Julie would
like to encourage prospective special education teachers
to consider enrolling in the APS/UNM partnership
programs offered through the University of New Mexico.
She found both the funding and teaching support she
received through the APS/UNM Partnership Program in MR &
SD to be excellent preparation for "a career teaching
and advocating for some excellent young people with
special challenges".
~Rachel Sussman-McLeod
Rachel is teaching
elementary-aged students in an Intensive Support Program
at A. Montoya Elementary School in Tijeras, New Mexico.
~Melanie Polansky East
~George Jacob
Melanie is a special education
teacher at Wilson Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico
where she teaches Science and Language Arts. Melanie
is holds a Wilson Reading Intervention certification as well
as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic license. She
is implementing the Shurley English Program, a program
designed to help students learn the parts of speech and to
write properly, and is excited at the progress and growth
she has seen in her students! In 2006, Melanie won a trip to
'Space Camp for Educators'. She reports that it was a
wonderful experience which allowed her to meet inspiring
science educators from around the world.
~Jennifer DeMello Pena
Jennifer is currently teaching
second and third grade students in a Behavior Intervention
Program at Montezuma Elementary School in Albuquerque, NM
and is enrolled in the Special Education Ph.D. program at
the University of New Mexico. During the 2006-2007
academic year, Jennifer served as the IEP Specialist at West
Mesa High School in Albuquerque, NM and participated in
efforts to revise the New Mexico Alternative Assessment.
Additionally, she was a presenter at the Alliance for Full
Participation in Washington, D.C. in September of 2005 and
was a recipient of the Sarah Price award.
Jennifer can be reached by e-mail at jenn.edu@gmail.com.
2005~2007 Intern Cohort:
George is teaching high school students in an
Intensive Support Program at Albuquerque High School in
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
~Amanda Y. Short
Amanda teaches third grade students in a Behavior
Intervention program at Montezuma Elementary School in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is currently serving
as both the Science Leader and as a teacher-leader in
Performance Assessments at her school. Amanda and
a general education teacher at Montezuma have worked
together to create the first full-inclusion class in the
Albuquerque Public School district for students who are
labeled with "acute" emotional disturbance. Both
teachers are hoping their classroom will become a model
for other teachers interested in setting up full
inclusion classrooms to include students with mental
illnesses
APS/UNM Partnership Program
in Mental Retardation & Severe Disabilities:
Program Alumni
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