Sydney Larner

 

1. What is your educational background and what positions have you held?

I started as an undergraduate at Slippery Rock University in the fall of 2014 and graduated in May of 2018 with my dual degree in Early Childhood (PreK-4) and Special Education (K-8). Currently, I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Special Education: Grades 7-12, and I also work at The Watson Institute as an instructional aide in the Watson Institute Social Center for Academic Achievement (WISCA) program.

As an instructional aide, I am an assistant to the teacher; and I still get to work with all of the students and form unique bonds with each and every one of them. I started there this school year, and I work with students ranging from 8th-11th grade in my classroom. All of the students that I have are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and some have a wide range of other disabilities or disorders that encompass them as well. Some may have multiple diagnoses with their autism, such as anxiety, ADD/ADHD, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)/conduct disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), emotional disturbance, and many others.

During the day, I assist the students with their online curriculum, help them recognize and apply social cues/skills and coping mechanisms, teach and assist them with activities of daily living and self-sufficient tasks, and I also help them build upon their independence when they start to transition from middle school and high school to the real world; whether that be with pursuing a degree at a two or four year school/college/university, a trade, or other future career outside of Watson.

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is being able to see all of my students, plus the many other students outside of my classroom within the program and beyond, succeed in everyday life and society. The potential that I see in each of these kids is endless, and they are constantly pushing themselves to reach new heights accomplish more than they thought they could. I love seeing their ‘light bulbs’ go off, and I thrive when they reach their ‘a-ha’ moments and say, “Oh, I get it! This makes so much sense, why didn’t I think of this before?” I always tell them, “You may have needed a little assistance with getting to where you are now, but the drive you had to figuring it out is so commendable, and that is what is worth it. I am proud of you.”

All of my students are so intelligent, and possess such unique abilities, personalities, and talents; they make me realize that I am learning so much everyday, just like them, just on different subjects. They can provide so much insight about anything, and make you think of things you would have never thought of before. The perspective in special education is that anyone with a disability should be seen and cared for as ‘different not less’, and with these students, that is exactly the mantra that they have established within themselves.

Being an assistant to the special education teacher in my classroom has also been so rewarding and fulfilling; I am gaining so many tips, tricks, and precious experience that is propelling me closer and closer to my end goal: being a special education teacher of any grade level for students with any disability. Plus, I am really putting my Master’s coursework to the test!

3. What advice would you give to current students who are enrolled in the teacher preparation program, and to SRU students generally?

Some advice that I would give to current students that are enrolled in the teacher preparatory program is to definitely get involved, and find your niche. Don’t be afraid to try something new, because, and I can practically guarantee this, you are not alone, and it is perfectly okay to be scared or nervous at first, or even the first few times! Everybody has distinct interests and amazing abilities that can be brought to light more and more throughout college, and what you choose to participate in and how you present yourself can speak highly of that. I remember being the President of the Autism Speaks U SRU organization for 2 years was one of the many aspects of my college career that I am most thankful for. Being in that position provided me with so many grateful and truly heartwarming moments with people that all cared for the same mission. Your clubs/organizations that you join and the activities/events that you attend can help you develop into a more well-rounded individual, and help you realize interests, abilities, and talents that you never thought you possessed or thought you could handle on your own. Your potential is limitless! Also, with being an education major, so many people are in your same boat, so don’t feel like you can’t reach out to anyone about anything. You all become a bit of a family throughout your four years together!

4. Name an SRU experience or faculty that had a positive influence on you and explain why.

Throughout my time at Slippery Rock University, I got the chance to spend time and bond with so many tremendous faculty within the education department, and within other departments as well. Specifically though, within the education department, I will name a few.

Dr. Eric Bieniek, is a professor of the Special Education department at Slippery Rock. He is an outstanding individual. I personally got to work with him as he was one of the advisors for Autism Speaks U SRU, and I even got to be so lucky to have him as a professor; you are never bored and the learning never stops in his classes. He teaches you way beyond the material and coursework, and he provides so many real-life examples that turn into experiences you’ll soon face as an educator. I can’t express how many times I have had this phrase go through my head, “Dr. B was right!” Also, he assisted me and other prestigious SRU alumni with a tremendously successful project that included delivering school supplies and monetary donations for an entire school district within the U.S. Virgin Islands that were affected from the devastating hurricane disasters in 2017. He is a person that never fails you, and is always pushing you to achieve better than you thought you could. He has so much drive and endless passion, and he exhibits that every time you speak with him. Dr. Bieniek ROCKS!

Dr. Jeremy Lynch, also from the Special Education department, is another fantastic individual, and he was my academic advisor throughout college. I had Dr. Lynch as a professor a few times as well, and he makes you think of things in a different perspective, way beyond what one may think. He has a strategy or solution to any situation you may encounter while teaching, and his personality is very relaxed and straight to the point, which is what one has to understand and present when teaching kids with special needs! His teachings are instilled within me to this day; and I am so appreciative and proud that I was able to have him as a professor and advisor.

5. What makes a great teacher?

A great teacher exudes multiple attributes: empathy, flexibility, determination, patience (of course), compassion, and a special appreciation for teaching children of all kind. A great teacher is unique themselves, and does not mind going outside of the box in order to have a student understand something. They believe in discovering and reaching all limits of a child, and don’t always use cookie-cutter tactics or basic techniques to teach children all the same way all the time. They go the extra mile to assist anyone and everyone they can, and NEVER GIVE UP on themselves. A great teacher accepts their failures, and persists toward greater triumphs that will outweigh what they once were not good at. Every teacher has their own ‘a-ha’ moments, and those happen more often than one may think. No matter what a teacher is teaching, I also believe an element of comfort, humor, and confidence needs to be expressed no matter what they are teaching or helping their students learn. The students need to know if their teacher can be goofy, authentic, and stray away from the standard norm, then they should be able to express themselves as they wish, and be free to follow that mentality.