Amanda Clark

 

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held? Please include the current school district and grade/s.

I was a first-grade instructional assistant at Avonworth Elementary School, a first-grade long-term substitute at Baden Academy Charter School and currently teach 8th-grade special education at Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA). This is my 4th year serving as an educator and CCA and I am so grateful to be here! I taught 4th grade for my first 2 years and have been in 8th grade special education (teaching language arts) for the past 2 years. 

 2. Name one SRU experience, in general or specific to the field, that you will never forget and explain why.

Dr. Isherwood was the most phenomenal teacher and advisor. He was extremely professional, and flexible in helping me plan my courses and answered all of my certification questions promptly. The entire special education department was truly a blessing to work with! 

 3. Name an SRU faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Dr. Isherwood had a very positive influence on my understanding of behavioral and emotional disorders, as well as the background of understanding the laws behind special education. 

 4. What initially piqued your interest in pursuing a degree in education?

My interest was piqued in pursuing a degree in education through running our family equestrian stable from 2007-2019. I was an equestrian instructor throughout high school and college, which is how I was able to pay for my continuing education. I completed my senior study at Chatham University on the "Effects of Equestrian Therapy on Children and Adolescents with Disabilities." This sparked my interest in helping those with special needs. Everything then aligned when I found SRU and the flexibility of their graduate program. I am very glad I attended here.  

 5. What do you love most about teaching?

What I love most about teaching is the personal relationships and connections you make with students. Even though you might not see the fruit right away, you make a daily impact. Students look to you for consistency and want to build trust. Being consistent with students on a daily basis and fostering relationships, working toward educational goals and planning for post-secondary educational goals are what I love most about teaching. 

 6. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher is dedicated, resilient, flexible, and remains teachable throughout their career and daily lives. We are never done growing professionally as educators and need to remain teachable. Flexibility and resiliency is something I believe that is acquired through experience. Each student is different, comes from a different background and has unique individual needs. The ability to keep the bar high while removing the barriers demonstrates flexibility and incorporates Universal Design for Learning in the classroom.