About Ms. Chyna
Hi, sweet friends!
Thanks for stopping by! My name is Ms. Chyna and I am an Elementary Behavioral Special Education Teacher in the midwest. I graduated with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and Spanish, and a Masters in Educational Leadership.
So…how did I end up in my current position? Well, with a few extra courses and tests, and an administration that helped align everything, I, excitedly, was hired into a position that not a lot of people were fighting for!
I never envisioned myself being a special education teacher; I saw the position as somewhat repetitive and boring (as terrible as that sounds). Until one day, I had the opportunity to substitute teach in a behavioral special education classroom. It was entirely different from what I had anticipated; I felt I had time to interact individually with each student, time to reflect and problem solve real life situations with students, and along with all of that, time for academic learning as well. Needless to say, the day flew by. I subbed in that classroom a few more times that year before I found out that that specific position would be opening up for the following year. I didn’t have the training, the credentials, or the experience to take it on, but I loved the students I got to work with while subbing, and I knew that’s what mattered.
I realized early on that behavior is merely communication, and often times our students don’t obtain the skills they need at home to know how to communicate their needs appropriately. That being said, I did what I felt in my heart to be right and took on the challenge of helping our amazing kiddos who need it the most: I became a behavioral special education teacher! Wooo!
Fast forward to today, and in our classroom the students who struggle & are often perceived as the “tough kids,” truly get a chance to shine. They become confident in their own abilities and they learn from each other that’s it’s ok to have “tough” times, it’s what we do after the tough times that define us.
Our classroom is real, it’s challenging, and it changes on the daily based on the needs of our students. It’s truly a remarkable setting to watch in action, as our students help support each other through their emotions, learn to give each other space as needed, and our amazing staff truly see that there is more to life than what is taught in our text books.
This job has been more than something to pay the bills, more than fulfilling my teach grant requirements, and so much more than just teaching. It has been a job that has warmed my heart every day, caused me to dig deeper in my own understandings of life, and to truly see the good that there is in our amazing young people.
Hence why I’m here!
I see a different side of those kiddos, a side that I hope I will be able to share with you, in the hopes that you will then share it with others! All kids are good, all kids are kind; it’s their challenging pasts and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) that have changed the way they respond to their surroundings.
My hope is that you will find resources, tips, and my real life experiences worthwhile in helping to brighten your day, lessen your work load, or keep you motivated in this challenging, stressful, and yet, very rewarding teaching profession!
Thanks for joining me. I am happy you are here!
WANT TO COLLAB? I’M DOWN!
You can connect with me via email: [email protected]
Thanks for stopping by! My name is Ms. Chyna and I am an Elementary Behavioral Special Education Teacher in the midwest. I graduated with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and Spanish, and a Masters in Educational Leadership.
So…how did I end up in my current position? Well, with a few extra courses and tests, and an administration that helped align everything, I, excitedly, was hired into a position that not a lot of people were fighting for!
I never envisioned myself being a special education teacher; I saw the position as somewhat repetitive and boring (as terrible as that sounds). Until one day, I had the opportunity to substitute teach in a behavioral special education classroom. It was entirely different from what I had anticipated; I felt I had time to interact individually with each student, time to reflect and problem solve real life situations with students, and along with all of that, time for academic learning as well. Needless to say, the day flew by. I subbed in that classroom a few more times that year before I found out that that specific position would be opening up for the following year. I didn’t have the training, the credentials, or the experience to take it on, but I loved the students I got to work with while subbing, and I knew that’s what mattered.
I realized early on that behavior is merely communication, and often times our students don’t obtain the skills they need at home to know how to communicate their needs appropriately. That being said, I did what I felt in my heart to be right and took on the challenge of helping our amazing kiddos who need it the most: I became a behavioral special education teacher! Wooo!
Fast forward to today, and in our classroom the students who struggle & are often perceived as the “tough kids,” truly get a chance to shine. They become confident in their own abilities and they learn from each other that’s it’s ok to have “tough” times, it’s what we do after the tough times that define us.
Our classroom is real, it’s challenging, and it changes on the daily based on the needs of our students. It’s truly a remarkable setting to watch in action, as our students help support each other through their emotions, learn to give each other space as needed, and our amazing staff truly see that there is more to life than what is taught in our text books.
This job has been more than something to pay the bills, more than fulfilling my teach grant requirements, and so much more than just teaching. It has been a job that has warmed my heart every day, caused me to dig deeper in my own understandings of life, and to truly see the good that there is in our amazing young people.
Hence why I’m here!
I see a different side of those kiddos, a side that I hope I will be able to share with you, in the hopes that you will then share it with others! All kids are good, all kids are kind; it’s their challenging pasts and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) that have changed the way they respond to their surroundings.
My hope is that you will find resources, tips, and my real life experiences worthwhile in helping to brighten your day, lessen your work load, or keep you motivated in this challenging, stressful, and yet, very rewarding teaching profession!
Thanks for joining me. I am happy you are here!
WANT TO COLLAB? I’M DOWN!
You can connect with me via email: [email protected]