I decided to interview Mrs. Hamilton because she is one of the people I look up to role model) and because I find special education interesting because it is a big influential part of my life since I was diagnosed at 10 years old with ADHD and a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome.  When Mrs. Hamilton was in her early twenties, she decided to become a Special Education teacher for a variety of reasons. The main reason, was that her brother had a intellectual disability. She wanted to help students like her brother, get jobs and have many exciting opportunities after they graduated from high school. Six strengths that she possesses that fit in with this job are, “intense, passionate, la eader, enthusiastic, caring, and happy,”stated Mrs. Hamilton. (H. Hamilton, personal communication, May 16, 2019). Her most valuable trait she says, is her perseverance. Mrs Hamilton has happily worked at Arrowhead for 26 years and she says “My favorite thing about working here is that the staff all work together as a team.” (H. Hamilton, personal communication, May 16, 2019).

Once she was enrolled in school she was always made fun of because of her height and so she started playing basketball. Many people expressed to her, “You won’t be good at it.” (H. Hamilton, personal communication, May 16, 2019). Instead of taking it as a insult ,she used that as a incentive to work hard every day and proved them wrong because she became the # 1 basketball player in the country during her senior year in high school. Her philosophy is, “Work hard and you will succeed” (H. Hamilton, personal communication, May 16, 2019). She has achieved this in her years of teaching Special Education. Mrs. Hamilton has been dedicated to becoming the best Special Education teacher she can be, even earning the prestigious 2019 Sanford Teacher Award.

When Mrs. Hamilton interacts with students, she seeks to build trust. She also says open communication is key to a successful relationship with her students and the guardians of the students. She told me that her favorite thing about working with kids is, “ Watching them accomplish their goals and dreams, like getting into a college they wanted or getting a job they wanted or earning a scholarship.” (H. Hamilton, Personal communication, May 22, 2019). When the students graduate it is bittersweet because she won’t see them much anymore but most stop by and visit  but she is happy for them too.Mrs. Hamilton said “I teach because I want to make a significant impact in someone's life.”(H. Hamilton, personal communication, May 22, 2019). We should care because more likely than not you have met someone who is or has been enrolled in a special education program or services.