- December 20, 2024
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Beccy Schulze loves teaching special education.
Growing up alongside her sister, who has Down syndrome, and her mother, who was a paraprofessional in Volusia County Schools, Schulze became passionate about working with children with disabilities. During the summers, she volunteered in her mom's classes and said she fell in love with the kids and their varying abilities.
"I ultimately wanted to help kids like my sister in their school life," she said. "I felt students with disabilities had a right just as anyone else did to have an education and I wanted to be part of that."
The Tomoka Elementary Teacher of the Year attended Volusia County schools for elementary, middle and high school before attending Daytona State College, which was then known as Daytona Beach Community College. After a few years at DSC, she attended and graduated from the University of North Carolina.
She currently teaches a third, fourth and fifth grade mild varying exceptionalities separate class, and is in her 14th year of teaching.
The job is not easy, but it's the students that keep her motivated.
"Teaching is so hard," Schulze said. "I am not going to sugar coat it, this is not for the faint of heart, especially special education, but I love it. Seeing that one student finally do what they could not do, or a suggestion I made to another teacher helps, I am pulled right back to it."
As a special education teacher, Schulze said one of her goals is to help students and teachers outside of her classroom.
"So many of our students are in general education classes and have so many unique needs that can’t be met all by one teacher," she said. "I have a lot of experience between my sister, volunteer, and work experience with special education and I love to share it. This nomination makes me feel like I have been successful in my goal."
It takes a village to teach, and her favorite thing about being a teacher is her students and colleagues, she said.
"Usually one of us knows how to do something the other doesn’t, this includes my students," Schulze said. "They teach me a lot about how they best can learn and be successful. I enjoy the community I feel with being a teacher; it is like having another family. I call everyone at school my 'school family.'"
When she's not in the classroom, Schulze enjoys spending time with her family, her dog Noel, going out to eat and shopping. She also recently took up painting by numbers and has found it to be very relaxing and calming.
