Teacher Amy Mandel communicates with one of her pupils through sign language in the Brayton School's sensory room, which creates a calming environment.
Mendal says she loves working 'little ones' and can't see herself ever working in an office.
She aims to support her students, help them gain independence, and prepare them for mainstream classrooms.
Amy Mendel highlights superheroes in her classroom because she believes all her students are superheroes.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Prekindergarten special education teacher Amy Mandel has been selected as the November Teacher of the Month.
The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will run for the next six months and will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here.
Mandel has been a teacher for 30 years, and for the last 10 years, she has worked with students with special needs. She is a prekindergarten teacher at Brayton Elementary School.
She works in the North Adams Public School's Collaboration for Autism Spectrum Teaching, Learning and Excelling, or CASTLES, program
"I do love littles, and I love seeing them learn. Every day is different working with them. I could never see myself working in an office or sitting down all day," Mandel said.
"Especially in preschool, you are always running around, and that is like my favorite part of the job is just going from activity to activity and just helping the kids grow."
Mandel's goal is to support her students and help them gain independence to the point they can successfully integrate into the mainstream classroom setting and advocate for themselves.
"[Mandel] is just generally an amazing advocate for kids with disabilities. She's really great about being patient and meeting them where they're at," said Amber Tart, early childhood CASTLES registered behavior technician.
"A lot of what we do is 'applied behavior analysis' and working for something like a reinforcer, a preferred toy, or a snack. And she's really great about taking out of her own money to bring in specific items that kids will want to work for, to get them where she needs them to be and where they should be."
Tart highlighted a time when a student initially would not identify letters but was able to demonstrate her knowledge after being given a Cocomelon bus as a reward.
There is no difference between teaching students with disabilities and mainstream students, Mandel said.
"There really is no difference because every student has strengths and weaknesses. Each student has their uniqueness," she said.
"I think we're busier. We have challenges with students who may struggle with communication."
When teaching students with special needs, they incorporate different communication techniques, such as sign language, picture cards, or communication devices.
"So, in a general education classroom, sometimes you'll see some of our students with those materials in the classroom, and I think it is eye-opening to the students that they are integrated with sometimes," Mendel said.
"It helps both the students that are in the general education classroom with incorporating some of our students that might have some more challenges, so that we can all understand that everybody is different, but yet everyone's the same."
The learning techniques that Mendel uses on her students is "good teaching" that can help all types of students because everybody learns differently, she said.
Mendel's classroom incorporates visuals, music, and kinesthetic learning methods to teach.
"We have a good group of staff here at the school that is very inclusive and works with us and is very open to having our ideas and incorporating [things like] sign language, pictures, and posters that help our students succeed in the general ed classroom. And are there for students in the gen ed classroom who might need them," she said.
In her classroom, Mendel highlights superheroes because she believes all her students are superheroes.
"I believe all the students in my classroom, are superheroes. And like superheroes, they all have their own uniqueness about them, and in the classroom, I try to make that available to them," she said.
Students in Mendel's classroom have opportunities to participate in activities with general education students based on their current level.
Mendel's nominator and teacher assistant Hailey Peters, described Mendel as an out-of-the-box thinker who adapts to her students' level.
"For example, if a kid is having a really hard time sitting in the chair where, she won't necessarily force them to sit in the chair. She'll get on the floor and do a little work with the student on the floor — meeting them where they're at,"
"I think she doesn't know how much of an impact she makes, and that's why I nominated her for this because she deserves to be recognized for all of the things that she does for these kids."
Principal Anne-Mary Riello also commented on Mendel's individualized approach.
"Her teaching style is very individualized for each student, and knowing exactly what every single one of her students needs, it is not one size fits all. She can tell you exactly what each one of her students needs at any time,"
This student integration fosters acceptance and communication between them, Mendel said.
Integration looks different for all students. Some may only be able to participate in one part of a general education classroom activity, while others may be able to be in the general education classroom for half the day or longer, Mendel said.
"It makes [general education students] understand that they don't have to be scared if they hear one of our students yell out or get really excited and jump up and down,"
General education students don't have to be nervous or scared. "That's the way [some special needs students] react. Everybody reacts differently to different situations. Integration causes general education students to be "very accepting and loving of our students," Mendel said.
Mendel works with general education teachers who do not spend as much time with the students to help them incorporate the different teaching techniques and communication mechanisms.
Mendel not only teaches the students but inspires and informs the teachers and staff within the school.
The school district restructured its elementary schools, making Brayton an early education center that teaches students from preK to second grade.
With this, the district's CASTLES program moved to Brayton.
"It's a new program to a lot of the colleagues from Brayton and [now closed] Greylock [because the] program was only at Colegrove [Park Elementary]. So, it's been a learning experience, I think, for all of the other teachers," Riello said.
"[Mendel] has really helped facilitate that transition and make sure that staff members who don't necessarily know her students still have an understanding of her students and the fact that they do have other needs than some of our other students who are in the general education classes."
Mendel is always looking to learn more and actively seeks out learning opportunities, including international conferences on ABA practices, and shares this knowledge with her peers, Peters said.
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