Even Rarer Birds: Men In Elementary Special Education – My Introducation

Hello Men Teach!

I just read about your organization in Newsweek and thought that I would introduce myself. I just turned 50 years old, have been married for almost 20 years, received my M.Ed. in Special Education: Learning Disabilities in 1982 and, after a career change (I also have an M..S.W. in Clinical Social Work and worked in various military, hospital, and community service settings as a social work clinician before returning to education), have now taught for 12 consecutive years in a rural Virginia public school district.

I have had – and continue to have – a very rewarding teaching experience due to my talented and dedicated school-based colleagues, my demanding yet supportive (woman) principal, and responsive and respectful central office administrators.

My classroom setting is as unique as my educational background: a 4th and 5th grade multiage, full special education-inclusion classroom that I have co-taught with the same two (another man + a woman) wonderful friends/colleagues for the past 12 consecutive years. I am not only the lead mathematics teacher for ALL of the children my classroom (and thus responsible for our overall high-stakes testing outcomes in mathematics), but I am also the school-wide, school board appointed Math Coach. I am thus as proficient writing Differentiated Education Plans for our identified Gifted Students as I am writing Individualized Education Plans for the special education students on my caseload/in our classroom. I am known as an outspoken advocate for sound general and special educational practices within my school district.

I also have a very full and rewarding life outside of school. My wife and I live on a small farm with our well-loved and vetted horses, cats, and dogs.

I am also an internationally-known web-based music interviewer in the genres of progressive rock and progressive bluegrass (newgrass), and am an internet advocate for kindness/stewardship (adoption and spay/neuter) for our wonderful companion animals – especaially cats.

Best wishes to all,

:)Steve Steve Sikes-Nova, M.Ed., M.S.W.
4/5 multiage full-inclusion teacher and “the virginiaprograsser” Newgrass, Prog & More!
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