When Evan Hudson joined the cross-country team at Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High last fall, his parents weren’t sure if their son, who has Down syndrome, would be accepted as part of the group or if he’d even try to run.
Thanks to Mariah White, a third-year special education teacher at Clara Peterson Elementary School who took over as the team’s coach this year, both concerns were wiped away quickly.
“As the year went on, we found that coach White did more than accept him on the team,” said Andy Hudson, Evan’s father. “She continually motivated him to run more and more and appeared to be excited with his improvement. During practice, when he could not keep up with the others, she would run with him shouting words of encouragement. On more than one occasion, we received text messages from other parents witnessing this and commenting that she needs to be recognized. She is always positive, always smiling. She also advocates for him in the away meets, asking for support from the host schools to help cheer him on.
“Any parent of a child with special needs will tell you they just want their child to be accepted. We are so pleased that this program has gone above and beyond that.”
I find my work important because … In order to make the general education classroom accessible to my students, it requires out-of-the-box ideas to allow them to be successful. All children, no matter their ability level, should be able to feel successful at school with their peers. My job allows them to do that. I strive to set my students up for continued success in their futures in school and beyond.
I became a teacher because … Prior to teaching, I wanted to pursue nursing, but realized my passion is to work with children. In nursing, I knew I would be able to help others but wouldn’t be able to see the long-term effects from helping them. Teaching allows me to help my students and then see them grow as they advance through the grades while also maintaining my relationships with them.
My favorite/most unique lesson that I teach is … everything! I never teach the same lesson year after year, which is something cool about my job. I get to adapt each lesson from different grade levels to meet the needs and interests of my students while also meeting their individual learning needs. It makes each school day different and unique, and I enjoy creating lessons unique to each of my students. I also implement game-based learning into my classroom. I love to take learning goals and create games for my kids and I to play together. I find my students are highly engaged during these lessons, and I love playing off their competitive nature to drive and inspire lifelong learning. I want every student to believe that learning is fun. When things are fun, it is easier to want to persevere and grow.
My most fulfilling moment on the job is when … I see my students reaching their learning goals, not only in my classroom, but in the general education classroom. When I see them applying their skills to the gen-ed room, I always celebrate! That’s our main goal; for my students to find success alongside their peers. For example, I created an adapted calendar for one of my students this year. This way he is right next to his peers, going over the same learning content, but in an interactive notebook that allows him to learn at his level and pace. The joy on his face made all the difference; that he felt like he belonged with his peers and was one of them.
Something else I’m passionate about is … providing accessibility to ALL children in extracurricular activities. I was the junior high cross-country coach this year, and it was so fun to be able to allow students with disabilities to be a big part of our team. They may have required some accommodations to complete practices and races, but they were competitors, improved greatly on their personal goals, and were wonderful teammates. I believe all children should have access to the same opportunities.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school were … I attended Disney Elementary in Springfield, Mo. My third grade teacher was a true inspiration to what a great teacher and person is. I found that she made learning come to life. Mrs. Teters tapped into our creative and competitive sides to make learning engaging. Aside from learning, she made sure that we knew we were valued as individuals. She cared about who we were and what motivated us. My eagerness to constantly seek learning came from Mrs. Teters. My favorite subject growing up (and continues to be) was math. Math is very black and white in the sense that you either get the right answer or you get the wrong answer, but the way in which Mrs. Teters approached math was far more than a black-and-white answer. She made us think outside of the box, where we had to create a game that proved we knew the skill. Mrs. Teters had us physically eat problems when we were working on subtraction. She made math concrete and captivating. I would not be the teacher I am today without the role model that she set forth.
I engage students during this strange time by … While the time is no longer strange, kids have evolved through the course of the past few years. My time with students is very unique, because if I am not in the student’s classroom, they are working with me one on one. I try and capitalize on this time, because the relationship piece was lost during the pandemic. There was a loss of connection that still has a lasting effect. I feel as a teacher it is not only my job to teach the academics, but also the life skills of how to carry a conversation with adults and peers. We work together to greet others in the building, how to be a good and caring friend, and to show compassion to everyone around us.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be … While I can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching, I would probably be a graphic designer. Everyone around our school knows that if you want something to look a certain way, I will whip it up in a minute.
— Anthony Zilis
