In the words of a parent, “The incredible and beyond amazing teacher I’m nominating is Ashlene Quinn,” this week’s #TeacherTuesday, who was also featured today on FOX 29‘s Good Day Philadelphia. This second-grade educator at Newtown Elementary in Council Rock School District was inspired by her third-grade teacher and a classmate with intellectual and social impairments, to become a Special Education teacher. She’s working toward that goal as she teaches in a regular classroom.
Ashlene says of her students, “Their laughter, perseverance, compassion, and kindness are just a few of the things that I love about them.” She adds, “Inclusion is amazing because you are able to celebrate the differences of every single member of the classroom community. If a child has a disability, I look at what they can do, not what they struggle with. I push my students to celebrate their mistakes and follow their dreams.” She also believes that “parents are a critical component in a successful team.”
And Ashlene teaches her students another important lesson: “I strive to make sure my students know that there is no “one size fits all” approach for any subject area. I look for progress, not perfection.”
Tell us who else is amazing and we’ll feature that teacher in an upcoming #TeacherTuesday.