When Bethel Park High School graduate Elsie Eason transferred into Slippery Rock University, she knew that she wanted to teach. A nursing major at her previous school, Eason had a close friend at SRU who pushed for her to come to The Rock to study education.
“I wanted to become a teacher for a lot of reasons,” said Eason, a senior special education major. “I see children as so impressionable, and we need more kind, well-rounded people, so I think teaching young kids allows you to make a difference in how people think and view the world for the rest of their lives.”
A program that Eason found particularly impactful for her experience in the SRU education program was RockTEACH, which offers prospective teachers a glimpse into what being an educator looks like. RockTEACH forges partnerships with local high schools and connects students to education faculty and SRU education majors. This provided Eason an opportunity to connect with and invest in students from underrepresented groups by helping to ensure that their education is relevant to their lives and that they are valued in the educational environment. As a woman of color in education, this work was important to Eason.
Now, Eason is a senior special education major with a focus on autistic support. While fulfilling her student-teaching requirement, Eason is working at Brookline Elementary School in Pittsburgh in a classroom with third and fourth graders who are on the autism spectrum. Through her student teaching, Eason has gained experiences that wouldn’t have been possible in a college classroom setting.
“In my classes, we talk a lot about the range of behaviors that special needs students can present,” Eason said. “It was nice to be able to connect those conversations from the classroom to my students. One thing that you have to learn on the job is how to handle students with communication issues who express themselves by running away or throwing things. I understand why they respond that way, so I didn’t find myself getting upset about it.”
Eason also spoke to the importance of protecting your mental health as a teacher, especially in special education contexts.
“Go in with an open mind and try not to overwhelm yourself,” Eason said. “Obviously, you have to be prepared, but you have to stay flexible and try to take some time for yourself when you can.”
Even when the classroom environment is stressful, Eason knows this is where she is meant to be.
“I like seeing my students grow,” Eason said. “There have been a few times where I’ll teach a lesson and they’re just not getting it that day. Then I’ll come in next time and they’ll nail everything and that’s when you know that they’re really progressing.”
Eason also said that any time she can make a student smile is a win for her. The connections that she builds with her students are the bedrock of all of their growth.
Anna Counihan, a senior strategic communications and media major at Slippery Rock University, was a scene shop assistant for the Theatre Department’s production of “Into the Woods.” It ran from Nov. 21-23 at the Performing Arts Center’s Miller Theater.