MT. STERLING, Ky. (LEX 18) — Being a teacher is a difficult job.
It requires passion and dedication, not to mention the skill, talent, and heart to get students to learn and grow. A viewer recently contacted us about a group of teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty, teaching a special needs class in Montgomery County.
Lisa Smith can't imagine doing anything else.
"Because I love the kids. You learn something new every day. It's the best job ever. It's very rewarding", says Smith. "Every day is a new day. What happened today, tomorrow is different."
Three years ago, she gave up a career as a receptionist in a doctor's office to do this instead. She was becoming a special education assistant at Camargo Elementary School, choosing this particular assignment over a "regular" classroom.
"She's wonderful; she's very patient, very kind, very understanding, always there when you need her," says fellow teacher Becky Mapel.
"They're no different than any other kid," says Smith. "They want the same things. They want to be included and I get very upset if they're not included. Most of them, they're non-verbal. They don't have a voice, so we have to be their voice."
Camargo principal Dudley Napier says their work amazes her every day.
"Of course, all of Camargo's staff is amazing, but these ladies – what they do every single day, they go above and beyond the normal job description because they bring passion, advocacy, hard-work – both just physical and cognitively just hard work every single day to do their best", says Napier.
Mapel adds, "I like to think I make a difference with the kids, just sometimes being patient and working through tasks and problems they have throughout the day."
And that dedication, care, and perseverance led that LEX 18 viewer to reach out to us to recognize their excellence.
"You have to be that true voice, that true motivation not only for the student but also for their families to know and support them and make them feel that their education process is going to be just as successful," says Napier.
And on this day, they're wearing t-shirts with a special message and a reminder: "Remember Your Why."
"'Cause you remember why you're here," Smith says. "You're here for these kids. To make sure their needs are met and that they're gettin' what they need and that's what matters."
