Meet Conswella Bennett of Special Education Teacher in DeKalb County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Conswella Bennett.

Conswella, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started in education in 2007. I was hired as a paraprofessional (teacher assistant). I needed a break from my previous career as a news reporter, and I had been having thoughts of working with children, in particular, those with special needs.

So, one day I applied for a paraprofessional position with four-year-old special needs students. I was hired. Not long after working there, I was encouraged by principals and a lead teacher for special education to pursue being a teacher. I thought about it and finally gave in and decided to go through the DeKalb County School District TAPP (Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy in 2010 or 2011. I completed the program in 2013 and first started by teaching fourth and fifth grade. Then I taught 4th grade for three years, first grade for two and this year I’m a special education teacher in kindergarten.

I was named teacher of the year at my school for the 2017-2018 school year.

Has it been a smooth road?
I’d say the road to the path to be an educator was pretty smooth. I’d been at the school for a number of years as a paraprofessional and in working with grades kindergarten to fifth in that capacity made it easier when I transitioned to a special education teacher. I was already familiar with the teachers, students, and standards. The challenge was getting a routine or system in place for myself to ensure that I was getting student data and also ensuring that they were getting the standards.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m an educator in one of Georgia’s larger school systems, DeKalb County. I specialize in special education. I’m an interrelated teacher which I mean my students are able to be in a general education classroom setting, and I co-teach with a general education teacher. Both of us work with all students in the class, although as case manager of students who may have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) I work with those students’ individual goals and provide support needed to ensure that they are able to catch on and keep up with grade level materials.

As a teacher, I’m most proud of students I have worked with who may have lacked confidence and were content to fade into the background – probably hoping not to be noticed by the teacher. I have enjoyed working with them, getting to know them – putting the human side to teaching and not solely focusing on test scores, etc. and in turn building their confidence. To watch those students truly blossom and began to trust themselves enough to participate in class and to simply try are what has made me the proudest throughout my career. One year, there was a student in kindergarten at the time (and she is now in 5th grade), remembers a saying a teacher and I came up with to help motivate them: “Where there is hope, there is love.” Every time she sees me, she says that saying, and our hope is that she not only just remembered it after all these years but truly felt that as teachers we had hope, love, and belief that they could be successful students and later adults.

I think my communication with my parents is pretty good. I believe having a communications (journalism) backgrounds has helped me to be successful in this.

In my opinion, as teachers, I don’t know if there is much than set you apart, but I’d say that what I do well is to get to know my students – how they learn best, make them feel comfortable and secure all the while educating and hopefully instilling an early love of learning. I’m flexible and realize that all throughout the day as teachers we have to be flexible in order to meet our student’s needs.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
It is a good place for the school because the school is in a neighborhood, which is convenient for the students who attend. The Dunwoody area is a good place to start or have a business because it is its own city. There are a lot of stores and restaurants and attractions for the area.

Image Credit:
Me at bar photo credit: John Espinosa, Me and 5th graders photo credit: LaShawn Jenkins, Me and Toty: Pamela Jones, Me & Burger chat: Carol Niemi

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