Nicole Joyner became a special education teacher to help students to believe in themselves. Students with disabilities have a special place in Joyner’s heart, as her three adopted brothers have learning disabilities, and they were in special education.
“My brothers came from a household of abuse, both mentally [and]physically. Their parents struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Many people told my mother they would not be able to graduate from school or be able to go to college [or serve in the]military,” Joyner said. “My brothers had the support of family [and]wonderful teachers who supported [and]encouraged them and took ‘can’t’ out of their vocabulary.
My brothers were able to graduate [from]high school, went on to the military, and went to college, defying all odds.”
Although teachers held a special place in her heart, Joyner never thought she would pursue teaching, and she ended up working as an office administrator in the Army for 14 years. She switched to education after seeing a need and realizing she loved working with children.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in religion (she also has an associate’s in interdisciplinary learning), Joyner became a special education instructional assistant at Hening Elementary. After working at Hening for two years, Joyner went back to school to get her MAT (masters of arts in teaching) in special education. She is currently a special education autism teacher at Wells Elementary, where she has been for two years.
With only two years under her belt, Joyner has already landed a major accolade: Teacher of the Year.
“I am humbled and grateful to get [that honor]. As a new teacher, I always feel like I need to do more, learn more and listen more so that I am able to meet the needs of my students,” Joyner said. “I feel like I have learned so much from all the great teachers that I have worked with and gotten to know. I give all credit to my students, parents, and co-workers; they are always willing to offer advice, encouragement and creative strategies to help my students accomplish their goals.”
Joyner deals with data collection, planning, and IEP meetings, but the best part of the job to her is spending time with her students and watching their a-ha moments when they understand and meet expectations. She believes she has had a positive impact on past and current students.
“I look at the progress and the hard work it took for them to learn with their peers without disabilities in the general education classroom setting, [to]make friends, and, [to]express themselves in a manner that is appropriate is major progress,” Joyner said. “I have students [who]can walk themselves to class on their own now. I have students [who]were self-contained, spending the majority of their day in the general education classroom setting, learning with students without disabilities.”
Joyner’s husband is a retired military man, and during his 24-year career, the couple has dealt with deployments, multiple moves and training, which have somewhat prepared her for what she faces now.
“I plan to tackle the upcoming school year with patience, more drive to ensure my students can accomplish their goals and serve with an “I can” attitude,” Joyner said. “I don’t want my students to feel like they can’t learn virtually or during these trying times. I want my students to go through this year with an “I can” in mind and action.”
