Working with students with disabilities has intrigued Mountainside Elementary Teacher of the Year, Megan Robertson, ever since she was in high school. During those years, Robertson was a peer tutor and participated in a class where students work in Life Skills classrooms. That experience impacted her greatly, and she continued to discover the joys of working with students with disabilities when she taught swimming lessons to students with adapted needs. 

 

Robertson’s experiences from high school led her down her current career path as a Special Education teacher. She is currently in her fifth year of teaching at Mountainside Elementary, where she is particularly thankful for the support from and collaboration with her peers and aides. She has seen herself grow as a teacher throughout the past several years—from trying to do everything for herself to learning the powerful synergy of working with others and allowing them to help out.

 

 

In her classroom, students learn the same things as students in a general education classroom, such as math, reading, science, etc., but adapted to their skill sets and abilities. Robertson is a firm believer in the importance of honoring the individuality of each child as they learn and grow. “All kids are going to make progress on their own timelines,” she explained. “We need to look at each kid individually and make sure we are evaluating their progress based on their own performance and not against everyone else.” 

 

Robertson believes that she has the best job in the world. “If you start to spend time around kids with disabilities, they change who you are as a person,” she expressed. “They're so kind and so sweet!”

 

 

Cam Amott, the principal at Mountainside, describes Robertson as an incredible leader who is always willing to share her expertise and help out as needs arise. “Megan loves her students like they are her own. She dedicates so much time and energy to making sure her students have the support and services that they need to be successful,” Amott adds. “She is a true example of what it means to be an advocate for your students. Go spend five minutes in her classroom and you will gain a great respect for her and her job.”

 

Megan Robertson (with Principal Cam Amott and board member Roger Pulsipher)
was honored at the March 17, 2022 board meeting.