By AMY CARLSON GUSTAFSON Photos by MARK BROWN
By being inventive, the School of Education tackles a critical teacher shortage in special education.
Working in education gives Rania Paraskeva a sense of fulfillment. In her most recent position as a special education teacher at Island Lake Elementary, Paraskeva loves watching the children she works with learn
While doing her classroom teaching requirement on the job, Paraskeva was able to continue working as she earned an academic behavioral strategist (ABS) license along with an advanced degree in special ed. This spring, she graduated from the two-year program.
new skills and discover their abilities. “I get so much satisfaction from being able to see the growth in my students,” she said. “They can do so many things. You can’t just write them off. That was the biggest thing for me, I can’t bear to see somebody being treated differently.” Paraskeva wasn’t new to teaching. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she worked at
“The lens that they teach from is so eye-opening,” she said. “There’s no busywork, it’s practical application. It's been fantastic. The leadership genuinely do care. They're invested in making us the best possible teachers we can be.” School of Education Work and Learn Coordinator Barbara Jo Stahl said that through the program they’re creating
Rania Paraskeva
an international school in Dubai.When she moved to Minnesota with her husband 10 years ago, she started subbing at a day care while raising her two young children.When they were old enough for elementary school, she began volunteering in their classrooms. Eventually, Paraskeva applied for a job as a special education paraprofessional at the school. Her principal recognized the gift she had with children and handed her a flyer about the St. Thomas Work and Learn program. It was just the nudge Paraskeva needed to pursue a master’s degree.
road maps that have all the characteristics of success while filling a critical need for special education teachers in the state. “We’re invested with the school districts,” Stahl said. “They vetted their people. You can see that in the cohorts – these are people who really want to be teachers and have a high level of commitment. And no one graduates from our program without a toolkit full of evidence-based practices.”
S T T H O M A S . E D U
3 9
Powered by FlippingBook