JOHN HARWARD, Special Education Department

Q:  What do you teach?

A:  I work in the special education department under the occupational course of a study group.  We essentially get them prepared for life after high school.  

Q:  What made you decide to teach SPED? 

A:  I, originally in college, was a physical education major and we actually had some classes in which it was more so with special populations.  I really enjoyed working with those kids.  I got hired as a TA to work with special education for two years.

Q:  What does your typical workday look like?  

A:   About the same as it does for all of the students for me.  I’m actually taking classes online through Campbell University so [I’m] just trying to use my time wisely so that I can have as much of a personal life as I can once I leave the school. 

Q:  How has virtual learning impacted your job?

A:  With the rule in Wake County where they’re not making it mandatory to have the kids turn on the cameras I find it difficult because usually in the classroom I can see the confused looks on kids faces and I can give them attention as opposed to now nobody has their camera on and it’s kinda hard for me to read the students.

Q:  Tell me about your educational background. 

A:  I graduated from high school in 2008. I went to East Carolina University In 2008 and graduated in 2013.  I became a teacher assistant in Wake county in 2015.   I left the Wake County school [system] in 2018  to go and work in the adult world (the 9-5 world).  I again realized really quickly that my heart was in the classroom.

Q:  What do you like most about Wakefield so far? 

A:  Just the chance to be able to help develop young people. The students come from all different backgrounds and ethnicities and cultures and it’s fun to both learn about them and it’s also fun to be a beacon of guidance for some kids who may not be as fortunate.  

Q:  What do you like to do outside of school?

A:  I’m a big sports guy.  I love football and I love baseball.  I’m still young, I still play video games.  I’m a big Call Of Duty Warzone fan. I love spending time with [my girlfriend], we have a dog together named Fern.

Q:  Do you have any crazy teaching stories? 

A:  I had a total of three kids on camera at the same time if that’s crazy enough. 

Q:  What is your advice for students taking your class(es)? 

A: Be patient, give yourself some grace.  Especially during this online learning time.  My big thing with students is whenever you are learning something, you have to give yourself grace and you have to expect to make mistakes.

Q:  What is your advice for students who want to become SPED teachers?

A: It’s a wonderful, wonderful environment. If you have a big enough heart and you’re passionate about this population of people, it is absolutely the job for you. There’s no greater reward than being around a child or a student who happens to be struggling with something and you help them learn that task or that objective and they are able to carry that with themselves for the rest of their life.