Leah Green’s interest in special education began when she was a senior in high school. She participated in Junior Educators of Tomorrow and spent two hours each afternoon in an elementary special education classroom where the teacher modeled how to teach with compassion, while still holding high expectations for children with disabilities.
“That experience inspired me to continue in the field of special education,” said Green, a special education teacher at Robert Asp Elementary School and this year’s Robert Asp Teacher of the Year.
Her JET experience also taught her how to build relationships with students by being attentive to their basic and emotional needs as well as their academic needs, Green said.
Green earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from Minnesota State University Moorhead with an emphasis in developmental cognitive disabilities and learning disabilities. Four years later, Green completed a master’s degree in special education from the University of North Dakota with an emphasis in autism spectrum disorders.
After teaching for one year as a grades 3-6 special education teacher at Lake Park Audubon (Minn.) Elementary, Green began teaching for Moorhead Area Public Schools. She taught for three years at Ellen Hopkins Elementary in Moorhead. Green has been at Robert Asp Elementary for the past three years as an elementary special education teacher in a self-contained/resource setting. She also leads the school climate team to help promote Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) schoolwide, and she assists with after-school programs such as Excel and intramural activities.
“I work with many students who exhibit emotional and behavioral dysregulation, executive functioning deficits and unique learning needs,” Green said. “To these students, life often feels chaotic. It is my passion to provide my students a compassionate environment paired with a sense of structure so they can feel comfortable and make sense of their learning environment.
Green believes all students can make progress toward meeting the standards.
“I believe it is imperative that I truly understand each child as a learner and break down the standards to meet them where they are at and then build on that foundation,” she said.
According to Chris Triggs, Robert Asp Elementary principal, Green cares about the students she works with and believes they can learn.
“She is willing to work with any level of challenge and can always find a way to motivate students to learn,” Triggs said. “We have seen tremendous progress with some of our most difficult students. With her support they have become successful in the classroom, making growth with academics and behavior.”
Green also feels it is important to teach her students self-advocacy.
“Giving students the power to ask for help is a skill that will help them to be a life-long learner,” she said. “I believe in helping students explore a variety of accommodations or ‘learning tools’ so they understand what works best for them and can ask for it in the future.”
Triggs acknowledges the challenges Green faces in her position.
“Leah has one of the most challenging jobs in the school, but she comes to work each day with a great attitude and love for her students,” he said.
