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Can you tell us about yourself? 

My name is Kerri Shuler. I work in Minnesota at Ramsey elementary school as a special education teacher for grades one through three. I mainly work with students with learning disabilities and developmental delays. Um, I have been there. This is my sixth school year. And before that, I worked six years at a level four program where it was a special education teacher

Why did you start a career in education?

I started my career in education because I always loved working with kids and, um, helping them. And it was always in schools, volunteering and helping and doing big brother big sister programs. And so I just need to decide what age level I wanted to work with. And I knew it was always going to be elementary. And then once I started teaching, I decided that I wanted to go into special education. So, I got my undergraduate in elementary ed, and then I got my master's in special ed.

If you could have any other job what would it be and why?

If I could have any other job in the world, Oh, I do not know something where I could go see the world and kind of like a travel agent or review of something like that. Cause I really love traveling every year. I try to travel somewhere new with some family members. So, something in the travel industry is if I could do anything else, dream job.

How are kids different now than 30 years ago?

How are kids different than, than 30 years ago? So, I am about 35. So, I would say now kids are the way they learn is so different. Cause we have the technology now. And when I was growing up, you know, we went to the computer lab for just typing class. That was the extent of our technology. And when I was in middle school, we got like the internet and messenger. And so, I think kids are now so different because of their tech-savviness that they have and just that they, everything revolves around technology. And I want to feel it was not like that in the past. Teaching is different in the same way that teachers used to just use paper, pencil and an overhead projector was what we would use for technology. And now teachers are using technology all the time. So, for example, we were distance learning last year. And this year we are going into, you know, like a possible distance learning or a hybrid. So, um, we are very dependent on technology to be able to access our students now to be able to give them the education. If I could tell someone about becoming a teacher right now, especially with everything going on with COVID right now in this situation, I would say, go for it.

How is teaching different now than 30 years ago?

I think kids are now so different because of their tech-savviness that they have and just that they, everything revolves around technology. And I want to feel it was not like that in the past. Teaching is different in the same way that teachers used to just use paper, pencil and the overhead projector was what we would use for technology. And now teachers are using technology all the time. So, for example, we are distance learning last year. And this year we are going into, you know, like a possible distance learning or a hybrid. So, um, we are very dependent on technology to be able to access our students now to be able to give them the education.

What would you tell someone who wants to become a teacher?

if I could tell someone about becoming a teacher right now, especially with everything going on with COVID right now in this situation, I would say, go for it. And I know it is a very unknown career right now because of everything we all feel like first-year teachers, but it is so rewarding, and it is honestly the best job in the world. You get to see the gains and kids; you get to know that you are making a difference. You build connections, you are building our future and that it is so rewarding.

What is one thing you would change to help kids learn better?

One thing I would change to help kids learn better is because we are so technology-driven, it is just trying to get access to everybody. We live in a kind of rural community. And so, um, for my community, I would have to change to try to get them all access to E equal equipment and internet, because that was a big hang-up. I know that we have had is that not everybody had the technology, they needed to have a good school year, last year.