We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebekah Poe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebekah below.
Rebekah, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I began my special education career as a paraprofessional. I quickly realized that working with this student population was my passion. After some encouragement from my principals, I went back to school and completed my Masters degree in Collaborative Education. In total, I was in the classroom for 12 years. While teaching, I realized that more than even working with the students, I loved supporting other teachers, especially the general education teachers who wanted to provide everything for their students to help them be successful, but who often weren’t really aware of the best or right way to do that. In college, most teachers are given one class on special education to take, but the reality is that’s not enough to cover all of the nuanced needs students with IEPs have. And if we truly want to be inclusive, we have to make sure everyone is on the same page with best practices, accommodations, and support. And that’s where I like to come in. My heart really is for the general education teacher who is serving students with IEPs in the general education setting. I provide tips and resources for behavior support, accommodated resources, and differentiated instruction so that the teachers feel confident in their ability to teach every student in the way that makes the most sense and provides the greatest chance for academic success- regardless of disability.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My goal is to come alongside teachers with educational practices they can start implementing in their classrooms immediately. On my social media account (@RebekahPoeTeaching on Instagram), I share short videos and captions with different strategies for supporting students with disabilities in the general education classroom and offer resources through my TeachersPayTeachers store so teachers can learn even more. I also have differentiated academic resources that are print-ready and/or digital files so that teachers can ensure all of their students are able to access the materials and grade level standards. Additionally, I am working on my first book, Blueprint for Inclusion, which explains all the ins and outs of special education- from terminology to evaluations to implementing accommodations and student support. My goal is that the book will be used by general education teachers who want to learn more about how to effectively support their students with IEPs in their general education classrooms by creating a truly inclusive classroom environment.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When starting my journey from full time classroom teaching to offering more teacher support, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to reach as many people as I was hoping I’d be able to. Plus, I really didn’t know a lot of people in that realm. What helped me most was getting out of my own head. Overcoming the thoughts of “I’m not good enough” or “What if they reject me?” I started submitting proposals to conferences. I started reaching out to people, even though I didn’t know them that well. My mantra was “The worst thing they can say is no.” And there were and still are several no’s. But it only takes one yes to get your foot in the door. Once you get that first YES, the ball starts rolling. Then you keep going. You keep putting in the work. And people start to see it and see you. Every opportunity I’ve had has been the result of an opportunity I created for myself.
But at the same time, you have to be ok with people saying No. Which can be difficult. You have to be ok with your timing not looking like someone else’s timing. You can’t compare your page one with someone else’s page 100. Everyone starts somewhere; you just have to start.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The biggest area of growth for me is that I’ve been able to realize that my opinion of myself is not based on others’ opinions of me. I was a people pleaser. I’m still working on that. But I can’t be everything to everyone. In social media, everyone has something to say. And it’s not always kind. And I’ve realized that typically if people have negative things to say, it’s because I’ve struck a nerve in them and maybe made them look at themselves and what they’re doing in a way that makes them less than comfortable. And as a good friend told me, “Those people aren’t your people.” But I can hope that maybe I’ve sparked something that will make them reexamine what they’re doing in their classrooms with their students. So now instead of being afraid, I am unapologetically myself. And the people who get it, I’m all here for them. And the ones that don’t, I hope something I’ve said can still have an impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rebekahpoeteaching.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebekahpoeteaching
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebekahpoeteaching
- Other: TikTok: @rebekahpoeteaching
