With 43 years of experience teaching special education students in three countries and multiple states, a beloved Maude Moore Wood Elementary teacher knows something about the true rewards of her profession.
Special education teacher Graciela Garcia Rosario is the picture of commitment to student success and perseverance in a challenging field. She is finishing her 33rd year in Killeen ISD.
She is a STEEL Award winner for the month of March. STEEL stands for Supporting the Education and Empowerment of Learners.
Garcia began teaching in her native Puerto Rico, then made multiple moves with her military husband, including in Germany. She continued teaching almost everywhere she went.
When she started in Killeen ISD, all of special education was contained in one building. When the program scattered to campuses, she taught at Cedar Valley, Venable Village, Peebles and finally at Alice W. Douse Elementary.
Garcia recalls an age of taking written notes with carbon copies during ARD meetings with parents. She experienced the switch to the computer age and the digital age, as well as countless changes in procedure.
What has not changed is the heartbeat of what teaching in early childhood special education is all about.
The longtime teacher grew up knowing a cousin who attended special education classes, and she observed her growing independence over the years. That personal experience led Garcia to believe specialized teaching was her calling.
“It fills your heart,” she said. “The first time a child talks or uses the potty by himself, it is special,” she said.
Teaching in so many kinds of classrooms for such a long time, Garcia said she has known students to finish high school and college and has also known students who celebrated learning to talk or simple acts of self-care.
“I’ve been in (a store) and had a grown man come over and remember me from when he was 3 or 4 years old. So, it is a very important job,” she said.
The selfless teacher was shocked when district and campus administrators surprised her with a STEEL Award.
“It was a complete surprise,” she said of the experience. “It was like any other day. It was very busy (in class). You don’t do this work for rewards, but when you get recognized, that is very important,” she said, noting that teachers in specialized learning settings need to know they are appreciated.
“I always think ahead. I want them to be as independent as possible when they leave here,” said Garcia, explaining that she looks way past elementary school to her students’ future.
Her compassionate touch is certainly well known at Douse Elementary School.
“Ms Garcia does whatever it takes to ensure that each of her students has the resources, skills and individualized support they need to meet their goals and to experience success at their level,” said Principal Amber Dibble.
“Her wealth of knowledge and experience is matched by her love for her students,” her principal said. “She builds a learning environment filled with patience, respect and joy, making every student feel valued and capable.”
Garcia reminds new teachers that all students are unique, not defined by their special need. “Being on the spectrum,” she said, does not tell you who a person is.
“Sometimes what you do the first day of school, you will be doing the last day of school. If you put your heart into it, you will have so many rewards. They might give you a smile or a hug when they have never done that before.”
Garcia is set to retire at the end of this school year to spend more time with her grandchildren and to do overseas work in impoverished countries with her church.
KISD spring STEEL Award Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720331738812/