Sydney Slone is in her 4th year of teaching in the CIU 20 Autistic Support program. She previously worked as a substitute paraprofessional in several CIU 20 programs while she obtained her teaching degree. When asked to describe her successful approach to supporting students, she says "frequent and clear communication with families in order to make sure we are always on the same page. I have also found building relationships within my school has helped to get my students plenty of opportunities beyond the classroom."
Her advice to a new employee starting out is, "My first year of teaching was 2020-2021, right when students and teachers returned to school from being home due to COVID 19, and the biggest thing I learned that first year was to be flexible and always willing to adapt to situations. The more you are able to change and adapt plans to whatever the day brings you, the more success you will have! Being a special education teacher takes a village, don't be afraid to ask for help and use any resources you have available."
An Interview with a Best Selling Author & YouTuber
Ms. Slone's students recently got the thrill of a lifetime when they conducted a zoom interview with Natasha Kravchuk, the person behind "Natasha's Kitchen" New York Times Best-Selling Book and YouTube Channel. Sydney's students enjoy watching Natasha's cooking videos during snack time, so she decided to take it a step further by reaching out via an email found on one of Natasha's social media channels. To the surprise of everyone, Natasha offered to meet with the class via zoom. She also graciously sent copies of her book to the whole class.
Ms. Slone's students recently got the thrill of a lifetime when they conducted a zoom interview with Natasha Kravchuk, the person behind "Natasha's Kitchen" New York Times Best-Selling Book and YouTube Channel. Sydney's students enjoy watching Natasha's cooking videos during snack time, so she decided to take it a step further by reaching out via an email found on one of Natasha's social media channels. To the surprise of everyone, Natasha offered to meet with the class via zoom. She also graciously sent copies of her book to the whole class.
Reflecting on the whole process, Sydney says "This experience with Natasha helped my students learn how to prep for an interview by preparing questions, researching her, and building their confidence with social communication skills. All of my students enjoyed getting to meet someone they usually just watch on YouTube! It was a great experience for us all. Thank you Natasha for taking the time to speak with us!"