Hazel Paxton | Otis Brown Elementary Special Education Teacher

What is the best thing about being a teacher?
I love helping the community by providing services to families and their children. I love the fact that when people are educated, they learn to do better for themselves and others. I love knowing that I am a part of helping communities to do better. 

What inspired you to become a teacher? 
I grew up in a rough neighboorhood in Detroit. I noticed that the people there that worked hard or became educated were able to move out of the neightborhood. When I was in elementary school, a principal asked me to help the special education classroom because I always completed my work early and it would always be correct, then I would have nothing to do for the rest of the day. I loved helping the teacher with the students in her special education classroom. After this, I always said that I would become a teacher and instruct the students in special education. 

What was your favorite subject in school? 
I loved all subjects; however, with science, I noticed that I liked Earth science. I am just a person that loves to learn about different things. If I had to pick a favorite, I would pick reading because when you can read, you can learn anything.

What makes a "good" day at school? 
A good day at school in my classroom is when all students do not have too many medical issues, so that way I can do quite a few lessons with them and the students are happy. A difficult day at school is when my students are not doing well medically and the ambulance needs to be called. 

If you could take your students anywhere on a field trip, where would you take them? 
My students' medical conditions are so severe that a good field trip would be a wonderful day to a park where they can get fresh air and I can talk to them. We do utilize the school grounds to do this right at Brown Elementary. Also, our class goes on a field trip at the Outdoor Learning Center in Irving ISD, and this is a perfect trip for my students due to the nature trail, plants, etc. 

What advice can you share for future teachers? 
My advice for future teachers is to take care of yourself first. You cannot take loving care and instruct students properly in academics and social skills if you yourself are not doing well. Teaching is a job that never ends, so set reasonable boundaries. Teaching is a career in which, at the end of the day, there is always one more thing you can do, then when you get done with that thing, there is another thing. To be an educator and stay in this field, you must care for yourself. This way, you can continue to teach and take care of the students/community that you love.