Haley Makowski

Daviess County
Country Heights Elementary

As a child, there was a student in my class who had special needs. At the ripe age of 8, I was unsure what his “needs” were, but I knew I was put in his class for a reason. I was his friend and consistently got in trouble for helping him. As we progressed through elementary school, we grew together and I realized I was born to be a special education teacher. I probably annoyed our teachers by reminding them that his paper didn’t look different and he needed someone to read to him. Basically, at a very young age, I grew this idea that everyone deserves an education, everyone deserves a friend, and everyone is capable. They simply need someone who sees their abilities and lets them fly.

In my classroom, we have a strong sense of “we are all in this together.” I model that we all have bad days and have different coping skills. For example, I get major headaches. I am honest with my students and say things such as, “My head is hurting and I apologize that the lights are dimmed. Please be patient with your questions.” We need to support one another by giving each other space and grace. I do that for them, and in turn, they do that for me.