Grab Your Roller Skates

I had the opportunity to follow a special resource teacher at Nathan bishop, she was not only enthusiastic about showing us the in’s and out’s of her day, she proved to be a genuine inspiration- “Get ready to put on your roller skates!” she said to Kayla and I, and indeed we had to. Mrs. Rebelo has been in quite a few different schools, wearing a grin from ear to ear, she relates how much she loves it here at Nathan Bishop.

Mrs. Rebelo is constantly moving from room to room; always ready to roll- she literally needs to be on the same page as four different classroom teachers, their students, and each of the classroom’s curriculum's  This in itself is a feat, but the fact that she does it well is another. She knows each of her student’s names and provides a different service in each of the classes. She goes on to tell us how each teacher relies on her in different ways when she is present- some go so far as to let her teach the class, while in others, she stays out of the central point of view, all the while buzzing around the room; she provides students with an extra ear, or helps with classroom management when needed.

While Mrs. Rebelo  is there fundamentally for students with special needs, she makes it a point to say that she is not just there for them- but instead is there for all of the students in the room. She cringes as she states how much she dislikes when she is termed a “special education teacher,” she is a teacher through and through, without any restraints when it comes to teaching any and all students.

I thoroughly enjoyed rolling from room to room, but can happily admit that it was nice to take the skates off at the end of the day- what Mrs. Rebelo does is not easy- and I give her, and all of the other teachers out there like her, full and complete credit. Rock and roll sistah.