BUILDING YOUR TEAM

Building Your team

Michlin Durazo
HD450
November 28, 2015
Sheila Butcher-Smith

Building Your Team

The 5 Principles of Claiming your Responsibility to Live Fully and Teach Well found in
chapter 8 of Learning Together with Young Children by Curtis and Carter had to be one of the
most influential and thought provoking topics I had read. Building a support team, risk taking,
finding inspiration in other programs, challenging the thinking of others, and becoming a leader
for change are the key components necessary to becoming not just an educator, but an
inspiration, role model, and leader for others.
Building your teamsuch a simple concept, yet one that probably doesnt cross the minds of
most. I know that I personally am conscious of the aides I work side by side with as my team,
but I had never thought much further outside of that group. Not to say I dont utilize support and
ideas from so many other areas, I just hadnt ever considered these parts of my personal team. I
understand now that my team is my complete support group. This includes the instructional

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

aides, which are my core, but also the Behavior Specialist, OT, Speech and APE teacher (just to
name a few). I learn from these amazing women something new every day. As I attend trainings
and classes within my district, I also meet and re-connect with teachers and aides from other
schools, as well. We all have similar jobs, but within different locations and environments, so we
are all able to offer different perspectives and ideas for working with and teaching our special
needs students. One that has become a huge influence on me, and I consider part of my team
even though I have never met face to face, is a teacher from Florida named Chris. Although
online resources most times are no substitute for face-to-face meetings where you can practice
the risk-taking that often accompanies a dialogue across different perspectives (Curtis and
Carter, p.204), this is one exception where inspiration and a true passion for children is so great
that his influence has re-sparked my desire for teaching and reminded me why I have always
wanted to teach special education. I see all 5 of the principles being discussed within this teacher.
Taking risks is such an important part of teaching. Whether it is learning a new skill, or
making a change as an advocate for something you believe in, there is always a risk when
stepping out of your comfort zone. Taking risks on behalf of something you really want to learn
or accomplish nearly always enhances your self-confidence, and often your humility, whether or
not you feel completely successful (Curtis and Carter, p. 205). Im going to refer once again
back to my role model I mentioned earlier, Chris. This teacher took a risk in an effort to bring
awareness and make a difference in the lives of special needs children. He created a video blog
Special Books by Special Kids (SBSK) in collaboration with his students and their parents to
share their journey with the intention of erasing social stigmas and showing the true nature of
his amazing students (SBSK, 2015). He took on this huge project all on his own, and as much
as he hoped to bring awareness, he never anticipated the overwhelming support or the number of
lives he would affect in the process. He has touched the lives of not just his own students

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

through this blog, but also the lives of other students, parents, and teachers throughout the nation.
This was a big risk for him not knowing how this may affect his career, the amount of time
involved and his own financial stability due to the costs involved to run the blog, but he felt
passionately enough for this cause to give it all that he had.
Visits to other programs are viable professional development opportunities (Curtis and
Carter, p.206). Chris from SBSK brought us directly into his classroom through his videos, but
there is never a better experience than an actual personal visit to another program that has ideas
that interest you. As an instructional aide I accompany my students into their general ed
classrooms every day. I am able to talk to the teachers in those classrooms, as well as draw from
ideas I see in how their class is structured, arranged, and taught. I also have access to the other
special ed classroom next door to mine, which is for the students 3rd through 6th grade. That
teacher has a wealth of knowledge and ideas that I am forever learning from. I would like to visit
classrooms at other sites and maybe from other districts as well so that I may see how their
programs differ from ours.
Challenging the thinking of others is a principle that hits home with me. As an instructional
aide, I am somewhat limited in how the classroom operates as a whole. To be honest, I really do
not agree with how the head teacher runs the class or the curriculum that is being taught. This is
a mutual feeling amongst all of the aides in our class. I was very discouraged last year with this
same teacher and I felt as if I needed to be transferred to another class where I would be able to
work alongside a teacher that I could learn from. But, I couldnt do that to my 2 students that I
personally assist throughout the day. Im the one who goes up to bat for them and fights for what
I see they need. I know these kids and their wants and needs, where they are mentally and
developmentally. I felt guilty trying to leave them with a teacher that was lacking in so many
areas. So, this year I have taken a different approach. I have begun to challenge her thinking and

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question why?. I have taken the initiate to lead by example in hopes that maybe the teacher
will see that a class can be taught through love and support. I have made sure I have developed a
strong relationship with my students and their families, as well.
Taking the role as a leader has been a personal goal of mine this school year. Change is never
easy, but it is also never going to happen if I just sit back and let things run as they are, year after
year. There are attitudes, practices, organizations, and policies to be changed. Each of us has a
role to play in creating this paradigm shift (Curtis and Carter, p.209). I knew that change
needed to happen within my classroom, and I have taken steps to implement them where I can. I
have also joined an ABA cohort group through the district in order to learn more about ABA ad
how these practices can benefit my children in the classroom. Special Books by Special Children
has also shown me how one person can made such a difference in areas well beyond the
immediate classroom. Our future is guaranteed only by the degree of our personal involvement
and commitment, as we engage the qualities of inquiry, intuition, and love (Curtis and Carter,
p.210).
My goal as an educator is to inspire my students to want to learn, to support them in their
journey, and to be an advocate for awareness and change. With a strong team of support, the
courage and drive to take risks, the willingness to be open minded and accepting of new ideas,
the ability to ask questions and challenge ideas, and the strength to be a leader and fight for
change, I know that I will be able to be the kind of teacher that every student deserves. I chose
this career because I care about children. They are the light and the future of this world!

BUILDING YOUR TEAM