Suzanne de Boer was nominated by Roy Nahodil for Class Acts. Nahodil, a colleague of de Boer, said she “tirelessly champions our special needs students and consistently is professional and sensitive when working with their families … .”
Name: Suzanne de Boer
Age: 64
City of residence: Modesto
Occupation: Special education teacher
Family: Husband, Jan; married 42 years; three daughters; two sons-in-law; three grandsons and one granddaughter, due May 29; a sister, brother-in-law and a 96-year-old father.
Background: Grew up in Philadelphia; graduated from Calvin College in Michigan in 1966 with bachelor’s degree in English and a teaching credential; received master’s degree from California State University, Sacramento, in special education, California teaching credential in special education and resource specialist certificate in 1984.
Teaching experience: Taught four years of regular education in Michigan; taught special education for 19 years, including beginning the special education programs at Big Valley Christian School and Modesto Christian School and now have been employed by Empire Union School District at Stroud Elementary School as a resource specialist for 10 years. I was also principal of Modesto Christian Middle School for 10 years.
Why did you get into teaching? When I graduated from college with a teaching degree, I knew that God was leading me to work with special children. At first, I thought it was to teach blind children but then I married and had children. I so appreciated the specialness of the process of learning that I saw in my girls and knew I wanted this for all children. I decided to teach learning disabled children. Special education students are special all of the time, and it is a privilege to work with them on a daily basis.
What is your favorite thing about being a teacher? Making sure that every special student gets whatever he or she needs in order to succeed in the classroom and in life.
What is the most challenging part of your job? There are tons of meetings and tons of paperwork in special education, which means a lot of night work if you want to be able to spend your day teaching, which is what being a teacher is all about.
Favorite teaching tool or activity in the classroom: That would have to be a any activity that makes the light bulb go on and brings comfort to the learning of my students
What’s next in your classroom? This year, I am split between Glick Middle School and Stroud Elementary every day. I never know what is next, though it is so great to be with middle school students again. I have always loved that age.
Advice for new teachers: Treat every day as the privilege it is to teach and influence the minds of our young children.
Advice for students: Be faithful with the little responsibilities of your childhood and, when you are an adult, the responsibilities that are required of you will not be too big for you to handle.
Advice for parents: Make your children responsible for the little things in life so they may become responsible for the big things when they are adults.
Future plans: I think I would like to retire in a year and a half. Then grandchildren, mission trips, continuing to serve special students part time, etc.; sleep past 5:30 a.m.
How do you to reach students not interested in school? I would say that most of my students are not terribly excited or interested about being in school. Would any of us if it were as hard for us as it is for them? The key to reaching their hearts and their minds is through success. When they are successful, they become ready to conquer the world.
What would surprise people about your job? Maybe the number of hours outside of the classroom it takes to do the job right but that is true of every teacher's job.
What did you do on your summer vacation? Visited my daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren; then went to Maine to be with my sister, her husband and my father.
COMPILED BY JILLIAN HANKS, BEE NEWSROOM ASSISTANT
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