Unsung Heroes: Educational Support Staff
Image sourced from Classnotes with Nicole.
Claire Schumacher
Flexible, patient, trustworthy, and hardworking: these are all words commonly used by Hamilton staff to describe the educational assistants who work at Hamilton High School. Throughout the school day, there are countless jobs and people that the instructional assistants help, often going unnoticed by the majority of the school population. These unsung heroes are a huge reason Hamilton runs as smoothly and efficiently as it does.
At Hamilton there are both Special Education Assistants and General Education Assistants. These educational assistants, although their roles may vary slightly, both contribute great things to the Hamilton community. For this article specifically, we will be recognizing all of the Special Education Assistants. Special Education Assistants help students with disabilities access and better understand their education. Most of the time, they work alongside teachers and assist students with learning. Whether this entails helping the students focus, rewording the lesson for better comprehension, or even providing one-on-one guidance, these educational paraprofessionals can do it all.
Instructional assistants also help advocate for students. Many times, students with disabilities have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). This is particularly useful on tests or assignments when a student may need extra time, modified materials and technology, or any other device to help a student successfully communicate their learning. Along with assisting with the education of these students, Special Education Assistants help build life skills and often are in communication with special education and general education teachers, as well as counselors and families. These dedicated educators help these students become more independent, which largely impacts their success after high school. In short, Special Education Assistants help students with disabilities get the access to education and care they need to be successful.
There are twelve Special Education Educational Assistants here at Hamilton. Some are new to the school this year and others have been here for over twenty years! Each educational assistant helps the classrooms run smoothly. In the words of Ms. Goike, an associate principal at Hamilton, “Paraprofessionals are the bridge between policy and practice—they help ensure students with disabilities aren’t just enrolled in school, but actually able to participate, learn, and progress in meaningful ways.”
These instructional assistants not only impact the students that they work with, but the overall school community. They each have made a profound impact on the lives of the people they have come in contact with, and when the staff was asked to speak about the Special Education Educational Assistants, responses flooded in with so much appreciation.
Ms. Orvold (30 years at HHS)
Julie is so consistent, fair, and kind to her students. As a colleague, she offers good insight into the learning styles of her students. She is willing to help at all times. She is welcoming and a great addition to the staff.
O is a staple in Fit Ed. She has the patience of a saint and always brings a smile to the faces of those around her!
Ms. Braun (29 years at HHS)
Ms. Braun is one of my favorite people in the building. She's a joy to work with. She's always looking for ways to help. Our students love working with her and our teachers love opportunities to share their classrooms with her.
Ms. Braun is amazing! Her work in the classroom with students exceeds expectations! She was instrumental in the success of some of our students in Lit and Film during the fall semester this year. She has a great sense of humor, and she never hesitates to help when asked!
Ms. Schoechert (21 years at HHS)
Ms. Schoechert is so great! She is incredibly kid-focused, kind, flexible, and handles every situation with care and professionalism. She is a wonderful teammate, always calm, supportive, and genuinely caring toward all students. We are so lucky to have her here!
Ms. Schoechert is someone we can always count on. She has high expectations for students and instinctively knows exactly how to help them achieve their highest potential. Ms. Schoechert is a team player, a dedicated educator, and a staff member that students trust.
Ms. Zuberbuehler (12 years at HHS)
Ms. Zuberbuehler is truly the Swiss Army knife of educational support. She can do it all, and she does! She is trustworthy, kind, calm, and always student-centered. She consistently looks for ways, both in and outside of school, to support and connect with students. We absolutely love having her here!
Ms. Z is awesome! She works with her students each day with authenticity, patience, and grace. She genuinely cares about students and engages with them and takes an interest in their lives outside of school. She always has a great balance of support and helpfulness, and holds the kids accountable for learning new techniques. This semester she is working with three different kids in ceramics at the same time, and is helping them to make amazing pieces, participate in class critiques, and use their voices to advocate for themselves. AND she is becoming quite the ceramicist! I love having her in my room!
Ms. Dow (8 years at HHS)
She is very reliable and holds students accountable. She makes the class fun for the students and keeps students engaged. Ms. Dow is an amazing person and cares about all Hamilton high school students.
Mrs. Dow's smile and warmth make working with her a pleasure. She takes on any challenge with a positive attitude and makes HHS a happier, more inclusive place to be.
Ms. Fisher (7 years at HHS)
Ariana is positive and kind. She has high expectations for the student she supports in science.
Ms Fischer has a great rapport with all her students. She has great energy in the classroom and keeps a smile on her face!
Ms. Woodford (3 years at HHS)
What a valuable member of the team you are! Your knowledge in various tech classes allows students to be included and to succeed. Your ability to jump in and take over a lesson when the schedule changed was impressive and entertaining!
I enjoyed working with Ms. Woodford because she was already ready to share a laugh or have a serious conversation. She came to class ready to support me and even share an anecdote or two related to my content. I appreciate having Ms. Woodford in my class.
Mr. Wichser (3 years at HHS)
Danny is a person who brings joy to a room. He is kind and considerate, and treats each student with respect and has the expectation of competence.
Mr. Wichser is such a great teammate. He is always at the front door greeting students, helping in classrooms, and providing incredible support to all of our students each day. His positive presence and willingness to help make a huge impact on our school community!
Mr. Moran (2 years at HHS)
Darian has been so helpful with JM in our 1--1 speech session where we cook. He has modeled in a kind, firm, consistent manner how best to manage behavior for this student. He has high expectations and praises him for his significant abilities.
Darian has been a fantastic addition to the crew. He does a fantastic job of connecting with kids like Jeff, Henry, and Jaime. The boys love him!
Ms. Larson (2 years at HHS)
Tracey does a wonderful job of supporting students in science class. She is inclusive, and explains things well. She uses adequate pause time to allow for students to answer. She also works alongside the students to help them complete modified assignments.
Ms. Larson is wonderful with our students. She comes into work every day with a positive attitude. You can tell she loves what she does.
Mr. Hirschfeld (1 year at HHS)
Mr. Hirschfeld is such a great addition to our school. While he may be big in stature, his kind and caring personality shines even brighter. He is incredibly flexible and wonderful with all students, always doing whatever is needed to support them. We are so glad to have him here!
Mr. H has been a great addition to our classroom. He is always up for the chaos and a good laugh but more importantly is irreplaceable when it comes to helping with student situations and assisting throughout the classroom.
Ms. Ripple (1 year at HHS)
Shannon takes her job very seriously in helping to prepare the Beyond 18 students for real life vocational/job experiences. She is consistently kind and respectful to students!
Calm, collected and logical approach has been key to work with my cherub this semester.
Mr. Dybdahl, when asked about the educational support staff as a whole, said, “We are spoiled with the educational support staff we have here at Hamilton. They are all amazing in so many different ways.”
Mr. Renne echoes this sentiment, stating, “Their work with some of our students does not get recognized in headlines or school report cards, but this school would not function without their hardwork, dedication, and desire to see all kids succeed.”
There is a common consensus with the Hamilton staff that most of the work that these educators do at this school goes unrecognized, but their contributions to Hamilton are certainly not small. Again, when Ms. Goike was asked what she thought people should know about the educational support staff, she said, “Paraprofessionals are there for you. If you’re having a tough day, need help, or just need someone in your corner, they are a great person to go to. They care a lot about students and want to see you do well.”
Students and staff members alike should know that the educational support staff is a great group of people, who care about all members of the Hamilton community. Their work is highly appreciated and we should be proud of the great team of educational assistants we have in the Special Education Department.
Although not everyone has the privilege to engage with these staff members every day, their impact is felt around the school. It can be said with absolute certainty that the success of this school from day to day can largely be attributed to the efforts that the educational assistants put in to help the students and teachers of Hamilton.
