Ms. Jacqueline Murtha
Resource - Special Education Teacher
While I was in high school, I was able to do volunteer work at a school for students with disabilities. Engaging with these exceptional individuals, I discovered a sense of fulfillment and purpose in assisting in their learning journey. When it came time for me to begin my college search, I knew that I wanted to study special education. During my time at Rider University, I was part of a volunteer program that worked with the Special Olympics. Once a week I would attend Special Olympic Bowling and each time I attended it became more apparent that this was my passion. Through the Special Olympics Bowling program, I met a young man with autism whose family was looking for a respite worker one day a week. I took the job and continued to work with the family for the next three years. The experiences I had with Dan showed me that he lived life to the fullest but in his own way. I carry those experiences with me in my teaching today; despite their learning challenges, my students can still learn even if it is in a different way than others.
As a Teacher, I feel that it is important to create positive teacher-student relationships that promote student learning. As a Special Education Teacher, I am able to work closely with my students which allows me the opportunity to get to know my students individually. By investing time and effort into building relationships, I try to make sure that my students feel comfortable in asking for help with their classwork and other assignments. Teaching requires teachers to recognize the diverse needs of their students and adapt instructional methods to accommodate various learning styles. Being able to work with students in smaller settings allows me the chance to provide my students with lessons that are tailored to their individual needs. These tailored lessons ensure that students can grasp concepts effectively and be successful in their classrooms. By having flexibility in my teaching methods, students can participate meaningfully in the learning process, and it creates a learning environment where knowledge extends beyond the classroom.
Dr. Stacey E. Perez
Speech Therapist
Speech-language pathology captivated my attention with the fact that not only do they help individuals with communication and language concerns, but also with feeding and swallowing. When I learned that speech-language pathologists worked with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to prepare them to feed by mouth when they are having difficulty nursing or taking a bottle, and help families promote early communication skills through their interactions with the infant, I was immediately sold.
Upon attending school, I also learned that feeding and swallowing services were also provided within the mainstream school system. I thought this was both fascinating and important because many people do not realize that if a student is having difficulties eating, then it can affect their ability to learn, including learning language and communication skills. Learning how malnutrition from a feeding or swallowing disorder can affect these aspects then opened my eyes to the importance of functional communication and language; and these were the factors that influenced my decision to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.
As a speech-language therapist for the Elizabeth Board of Education, some of my job responsibilities include collaborating with teachers and other integral members of the school to help students with a variety of communication disorders such as language, articulation, fluency, voice, and even feeding/swallowing disorders when these disorders affect the education of students. After evaluating and diagnosing students with a language/communication disorder, I determine areas of concern and create goals and a treatment plan to address these specific areas. Once this is complete, appropriate speech-language therapy services are provided.
I believe that what makes me an exceptional speech-language pathologist is my empathy and compassion towards students who have difficulties communicating their thoughts and emotions.
