Name: Ryan
Career: Elementary Special Education Teacher
Company Field: Hawaii Department of Education
Located In: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Grew Up In: Mililani, Hawaii
Graduated From: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Majored In: Elementary and Special Education
Graduated In: 2012

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Special Education Oahu University of Hawaii at Manoa

Ryan is a Special Education Teacher for Elementary Students in Oahu, Hawaii. Ryan's job entails educating students with mild to severe disabilities, in academics, social interactions, and overall personal development. Learn about Ryan's career path and how he chose to be in the education field.

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Life of a College Grad Elementary Special Education Teacher

My job is a special education teacher in one of Hawaii's many public schools. My job entails educating students with mild to severe disabilities, in academics, social interactions, and overall personal development. I also modify lessons and activities to fit each students personalized need.

How To Get Into The Field

My journey started in high school where all I really wanted was to get rich quick, and own as many cars as possible. The most logical career choice that I felt I could do was something in business specifically management and marketing. After taking 2 years of business pre-req course I began to see that maybe business wasn't the field for me. I remembered being told numerous times by friends and family as I grew up that I would be a great teacher. With that in mind, I put my goal of getting rich quick on the side and began to pursue a degree in education. Long story short, I found the perfect fit! Working with younger elementary students and students with special needs really made me happy!

What Do You Really Do?

On a daily basis, my job entails helping anywhere from 1 -9 students with ranging disabilities. I teach lessons to these students in all subject areas including language arts, math, social studies, science, health, P.E, and vocational training. I am also, a tool for my general education teachers who will ask for support if needed to modify assignments, tests, lessons, or activities. I also take data and monitor students individual progress.

Pros/Cons of Your Job

Pros: I love working with kids! Especially those with special needs. Everyday, is a new and different adventure. Although, you follow the same school routines, the way I present my lessons and activities are very interactive and hands on, which keeps me and my students on their toes. Most of all working with elementary students really allows me to set a good foundation for my students in hopes for something great in the future.
Cons: Long hours, especially with the paper work. A lot of data collecting, data interpretations, and planning.

Living in Oahu, Hawaii

The Life of a College Grad In Oahu, Hawaii

What's it Like to Live Here?

I currently live in Mililani. Mililani is one of those living communities that have a lot of rules and regulations. These things include the color of your house, the types of things you can have on your drive way, etc. The community is also very friendly and constantly growing. It feels like every year another shopping center opens with more and more housing going up too. Overall, Mililani is a young community that is a nice place to live.

How Did I End Up Here?

I started my live in Waipahu, and moved to Mililani Mauka when I was about 5 years old. I attended Mililani Elementary school from K-5, Mililani Middle School from 6-7, and Mid Pacific Institute from 8-12. My parents really just moved to Mililani so that they could have a larger house for our growing family.

My Set-Up

Currently I am living at home, which is typical for a starting out adult in Hawaii. I am currently saving up for a place, but I would like to live closer to work in the new development of Ewa.

Closing Advice

As cliche, as it sounds my advice to everyone is follow your heart. You really want to find a job that you enjoy and can see yourself doing for a while. It's been over a year since I started my job and I have yet to feel any regret about going into this field. You just have to look at your life and truly find where your passion is.

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