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An interview with CEC's 2009 Clarissa Hug National Teacher of the Year
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Gayle Solis Zavala
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Gayle Solis Zavala has been a special educator for 24 years at Gove Elementary in Belle Glade, Fla.
Collaboration between general-education and special-education teachers is something you support very strongly. Why is that collaboration necessary? How do you recommend schools best facilitate that?
Teachers need to be lifelong learners, and I've gained great insight from both special- and general-education colleagues. Whether it is the car pool conversations with general-education teachers on my daily trek to school or formal learning team meetings organized once a week, we have always had a lively exchange of ideas and problem-solving sessions. Through our personal relationships, my students became their students and vice versa.
School leadership needs to create the climates we need to lean on each other's strengths and to share resources. Professional development days should include addressing the needs of all students and all teachers. Allowing special- and general-education teachers to observe each other in the classroom and have a question-and-answer after builds both an appreciation for one another and a chance to share teaching strategies.
What do you enjoy most about being a special-education teacher?
Wow. It's hard to limit my answer on this one, but one of the things I enjoy most is working with students on their ability to communicate. It may stem from beginning my career as a speech language pathologist or having had a special attachment to an uncle who was severely hearing and speech impaired.
Each child I have worked with has needed to communicate something, whether it be hunger, comfortable positioning, retelling a personal anecdote, the need for affection or to be left alone. Some of my students have begun with limited vocabulary or low self-esteem. Others had emotional issues and it created huge barriers that isolated them from successful social interactions. Finding the path for each of my students to better communicate their needs has been what I've celebrated the most.
Why is it important for you to be a member of CEC? What does being a member mean to you?
CEC has so much to offer teachers at every point in their career -- as university students, classroom teachers, administrators and experts in the field. It is a professional organization unlike anything else in the nation for special educators. It supports and makes available current evidence-based practices and encourages all teachers to share through the magazines and journals as well as the state, national and international conferences they sponsor. It provides the best in professional development and networking opportunities. The policy and advocacy leadership we have in Washington, D.C., is first-rate and is often called upon for their ideas and knowledge on educational reform and policies that impact special education nationwide.
Through my CEC membership, I have developed into a more knowledgeable and confident individual. It has provided me opportunities to interact and learn from top researchers, innovative teachers and professors, legislators and their staff, along with parents who have a wealth of ideas and passion for educating students with disabilities.
As we go into the new school year, what is the one thing you recommend special-education teachers focus on?
Classroom climate should be the No. 1 focus. I think it is important to greet the students each day with a handshake or other friendly physical contact. If the students are open to exchanging a few words about how they are, it always seems to make such a difference in starting the day on a positive note. I also like to schedule a time for good news. Students will always have stories to tell -- but not always good news. And, of course, every child is expected to be a respectful listener.
My last bit of advice is that teachers make time to relax and take time for themselves when they are home. Teachers not only impart knowledge and new skills to students, but they are also caretakers of hearts and feelings. Teachers must take time to care for themselves so that they can be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to reach out to their students each day.
For more of my ideas on classroom climate, visit the CEC blog Reality 101 for New Teachers.     
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