Preparing future educators

Group of students pursuing credential participating in new special education residency programs

By California State University, Bakersfield

November 3^rd, 2022

One of Victoria Almaguer’s special education students at McKinley Elementary School was struggling with reading at the beginning of the school year.

The third-grader, who is diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, was only able to read below pre-kindergarten level. Now, after a few months of helping him build his word-recognition skills through sound, he has made great progress and is only one grade level behind.

“He is gaining the phonemic awareness of initial, medial and final sounds in a word and therefore is beginning to spell words independently,” Almaguer said. “It makes me so happy to see his confidence grow after we implemented these evidence-based practices.”

Success stories like this is why the California State University, Bakersfield student want to become a special education teacher.

“It just reinforces that I know this is the career I want to go into,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed building relationships with the students and learning about them.”

Almaguer is one of several students in the university’s special education credential program who are participating in two new residencies being offered this fall, one at the Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) and the other at Greenfield Union School District.

These are the first special education residency programs to be offered in Kern County, according to the university. A residency is one of the paths students can take to obtain their teaching credential in special education.

During the one-year program, residents co-teach three days a week with the assistance of teachers from the school they’re working in. The residents work with their special education students individually or in small groups as well as support them in their general education classes.

For the other two days of the week, the residents work on assignments from their CSUB classes. They are also allowed to substitute one day a week.

Almaguer has been teaching students from kindergarten through third grade at BCSD’s McKinley Elementary. While she notes that working with special education students can sometimes be challenging, it has been a valuable experience for her so far.

“It’s been great. Everyone has been so welcoming and so supportive,” she said.

Getting a 'head start'

Fellow CSUB student Jacquelyn Ceron is also participating in the BCSD residency, called Education Specialist Teacher Residency — Bakersfield (ESTR-B). She has been working with around a dozen students from first through sixth grade at Williams Elementary.

“I thought it would be an interesting opportunity to expand my experience and be able to get into the teaching world already,” she said. “You can get a head start on what life as a [special education] teacher will be like. You see these teachers who love doing their jobs and have a passion for it, which is really inspiring.”

Ceron has primarily been working with students with autism, motor skills and speech challenges.

“I support my students the best way I can, whether that’s explaining things more or giving them more time to process concepts,” she said.

Going into the residency, Ceron expected she would be working more one-on-one with the students rather than helping them in their general ed classes. However, she feels them being in those classes with other students is beneficial.

“Most of my sped (special education) students do really well in the general ed classes and are able to be more independent,” she said. “It can be a bit of a faster pace, but you get to see the capacity they have to learn. It’s not an issue as long as they have any extra time and support they need.”

Ceron acknowledged that the residency can be difficult at times. Sometimes students will have behavioral issues and may lash out when they feel frustrated. However, she said it’s important to be patient with them and not take it personally.

Most of the time, Ceron said she has positive interactions with students and has enjoyed getting to know them over the past few months.

“The students get more comfortable with you as time goes on. They start feeling like you care for their academics and want to grow with you,” she said. “They get excited when they see you, and that makes you feel wanted.”

Ceron said it’s very rewarding to see students who struggle with some of the curriculum go on to be successful in the classroom. In one instance, she had a student who started the school year unable to multiply by twos. After receiving some help, she can do it easily now and even got 100% on a recent multiplication test.

“It feels good because it shows that me coming here and helping them is actually working and benefitting them,” she said. “I think it takes a special heart to be a sped teacher, and I feel like I have that.”

Matthew Kabel, a CSUB coordinator for the residency, said the ESTR-B program has surpassed his expectations.

“I have been impressed how, in such a short period, the Educational Specialist Residency Program has prepared future teachers to teach our most vulnerable populations of students with special needs,” he said. “It is a highly effective way to prepare teachers to work in classrooms.”

'The best choice I could have made'

Heather Weatherman is participating in the Greenfield Residency for Education Specialists (GREAT) at this year. She said she was looking for a way to work with educators and get some classroom experience to help develop a strong foundation for teaching special education.

“I think it’s amazing that CSUB started this, and I’m glad they were able to do it in Greenfield,” she said. “I think this was the best choice I could have made. I would recommend this path to anyone who wants to teach special education.”

Weatherman said the residency can be a tough, rigorous process and that she has questioned her decisions a lot. However, she said receiving support from other teachers and staff as well as other students in the program has been critical.

“It’s been really great having support from staff and faculty,” she said. “ There’s been a lot of learning to do, but I don’t feel overwhelmed. I love the fact that I can talk to other teachers, and I know that they’re there for me if I need them.”

Weatherman’s decision to pursue a career in special education is a very personal one. She said she knows someone with special needs who struggled in school.

“I have someone in my life who was failed by the school system,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to think that they’re not good enough, that they’re not smart enough, that they can’t do better. Every one of us in life has something to give, something to offer. It’s important for me to help guide that in others.”

Weatherman has enjoyed being able to form relationships with her students and learning about them.

“I love getting to know the children. I love getting to know their personalities and see how I can work with them,” she said. “You have to have that bond with the child in order for them to learn well.”

Initially, Weatherman saw herself being a high school special education teacher. Participating in the residency has led her to be more open about her career path.

“It allows me to try different aspects before deciding where I want to land,” she said. “I didn’t want to teach middle school at first, but this experience has changed my mind. I’m keeping everything open.”

GREAT Coordinator Kate Herman said Weatherman and other residents have been doing a great job in the program.

“Our GREAT residents and mentors have shown impressive collaboration, learning and leading in the field of special education,” she said. “Our residents are getting significant hands-on experience to apply the theory they are learning in their classes and are supported in their new experiences leading a classroom through mentorship, a cohort of their peers, as well as supports from CSUB and Greenfield alike. So far, we would consider the residency a great success!”