Ashley Watts, a senior in Child and Family Studies, will soon embark on her dream career as a special needs teacher. Although she didn’t come into college knowing this was going to be her path, the varied experiences she’s gained at UT have helped her find her niche. Through working at jobs, internships, and camps pertaining to children and those with special needs, Ashley shows that taking advantage of all the opportunities you have as a collegiette is sure to help you discover what you’re meant to do with your life post-grad.
How did you decide you wanted to be a teacher?
I was in nursing school when I first started at UT, and I wanted to do pediatric nursing. So I took a Child and Family Studies class and that really got me into family development and early childhood development. Plus, I have a little brother, and watching him reach his milestones and critical points in his life was really interesting to me. You know when you get into something and you feel like ‘this is right for me, this is where I need to be’? That’s how I felt with Child and Family Studies.
That’s so cool how you could just feel that this career was right for you. Was it just that one class or were other factors involved in your decision to switch to teaching?
I started doing Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteering with elementary schools around Knoxville and that’s when I knew teaching was what I really wanted to do. But I’ve always known I want to work with kids.
I know you’ve had tons of experience with kids. What kinds of jobs, internships, and camps have you been involved with?
Since high school I’ve taught swimming lessons to small children. Then when I got to college, my first experience with kids was with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club too. When I got deep into my Child and Family Studies classes we had lab time, and we would go one day a week for three hours and work with kids on campus. Throughout college I’ve worked at Tate’s School in Knoxville, which is preschool through kindergarten. Then I worked at Kids Place, an afterschool program for area elementary schools. I’ve also been involved with Camp Koinonia, a camp for children with disabilities, and this summer I did an internship with Shangri La Therapeutic AcademyofRiding(Star), which is a therapeutic horse riding academy for the disabled.
Is that what spurred your interest in working with special needs children?
Oh yeah, definitely. I really, really thought I was Elementary Education all the way, but when I got into Star and was able to see that with the disabled I never got frustrated or wound up. I almost felt more at peace. I really enjoyed working with the kids with special abilities. I don’t even call it special needs; I call it special abilities. They can do things and see things differently than we can.
So you’re the teacher in training, but what have the kids you’ve worked with taught you?
They always tell us in my major that you’re not just the teacher or the lecturer; you’re also the one learning. One of the most important things I’ve learned working with special needs kids is to value the small things. Every little thing is so huge to them and it’s a really humbling experience. And with little kids I feel like you learn something new every day. They always have something to say and I think you learn a lot about yourself as a person if you have the patience to listen. I have a book of all the quotes they’ve said to me and little lessons I’ve learned.
So, you’re a senior now, what’s up next?
Right now I’m at Green Magnet student teaching on Wednesdays. Next fall is when I really start to student teach and I’ll be at an elementary school in Lenoir City, as well as a high school or middle school for Special Education. In the teaching program, student teaching is considered grad school so I’ll also be earning my master’s degree.
Wow, that’s amazing! So after next year, what degrees will you have?
I’ll have a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies and a minor in Elementary Education. My master’s degree will be in Arts and Sciences, and I’ll have a teaching license for kindergarten through sixth grade, and a teaching license for Special Education grades K-12.
It sounds like you’ll be highly qualified! Looking toward the future, what would your dream teaching job be?
My dream job would be working at a Catholic middle school doing special needs. I really like the curriculum at Catholic schools, and being able to incorporate my faith with my passion for working with special needs kids would be phenomenal.
Did we mention she did all this AND she was a UT cheerleader?