Michelle Zurita-Sharpe
How did you decide to go into the education field?
School has always been my safe place that I looked forward to going to everyday. My happiest childhood memories come from the experiences I had in school and the teachers I had throughout the years instilled within me many of the values I hold today. This coupled with the fact I spent much of my childhood around children with special needs, motivated me to become a special education teacher.
How has school funding made a difference in your classroom?
School funding has made a difference in my classroom by providing me the resources I need to create hands-on engaging learning activities for my young students with various needs. For example, visuals are extremely important to use with early childhood special education students, and I am very fortunate that my school utilizes funds in order to provide me with a printer, ink, paper, a laminator, and lamination sheets. The availability of simple supplies like this makes a huge difference in how I teach and how students learn.
What resources and supports can further benefit your classroom/school/community?
Supports that could further benefit my classroom/school/community would be an increase in school-based personnel with specialized areas of focus (e.g., social workers, occupational therapists, nurses, and other related service providers). I know my community would also really benefit from a standard that adequately compensates teachers, especially in early childhood, based on education, experience, hours worked, and other qualifications.
Who/What inspires you? Why?
I draw my inspiration from the smiles I see on my students’ faces as they create, discover and explore the world around them. I also draw inspiration from other professionals in the field who are doing outstanding work with and for families in early childhood.
What accomplishment fills you with pride so far this year?
I am proud to have published a state policy brief titled Same Work, Different Pay: The Demand for Pay Parity for Early Childhood Educators.
It is the result of my involvement with Teach Plus Illinois as an Early Childhood Educator Senior Policy Fellow where my team and I conducted research examining educators’ experience with compensation in Illinois.
If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
My greatest hope is to instill within my students a love for learning and a “can do” attitude.
What is your favorite movie/book?
My favorite musical, which can be watched as a “movie” on Disney Plus, is “Hamilton.” I’ve seen the show on Broadway in New York and Chicago, a total of five times!