Janelle Dowling

I am an instructor and supervisor in the Extensive Support Needs program at San Francisco State University. I completed a B.A. degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in psychology with a minor in education. From there, I went on to the graduate program here at San Francisco State University, where I earned an education specialist teaching credential and MA in Extensive Support Needs. I have taught students ranging in age from 0-22 and have supported and supervised many teacher candidates in various settings. I am consulting with several families, schools, and professionals around how best to support students with autism and related challenges in the school settings, in the home, and in their communities.

One of my favorite memories from my time in the graduate program was when a group of us attended a conference with other students from our cohort, recent graduates who were now teaching in the field, and our instructors from the program. We all attended this conference with so much curiosity and the conversations at lunch and dinner were passionate and exciting. Then, once we had all that important learning behind us, we went out and danced together! It was such a wonderful feeling to be with a group of people who were just as dedicated and enthusiastic about our work as I am and to know that we are all lifelong learners and educators. Another of my favorite memories is from my first year as a supervisor for student teachers. I was supporting a few teacher candidates at different school sites, but one of them was teaching in the classroom where I taught for my first five years as a teacher. I had put so much love, energy, time, sweat, and tears into building that classroom and helping the school become an inclusive community and it was a thrilling feeling to go back and see what magic the next teacher was creating for the students in that space. The room was home for me and seeing another new teacher diving head first into room 102 filled me with so much joy. I loved being able to support her as she began her journey there and know that I could help her teach a whole new group of students.

I do not know a better feeling than the one I get when I see one of my students doing or learning something new. I can see the pride on their face and in their body. They stand or sit taller in that moment. The world around them slows down and all I see is them. Their joy. Their learning. Their success. Their effort. Those moments make all the difficult ones disappear and remind me why I’m here. In special education, there are many challenges. It is not an easy job by any means. There are so many different roles to play and every one of them is important and time consuming. We can sometimes get lost under the paperwork and lesson plans and the meetings, but every day, sometimes many times in one day, there are these moments that grab us and pull us into the teaching. Draw us back to the students, their families, their friends, and their futures. These moments remind us about how important we are and what an enormous difference we can make, and are making every day for these people. These moments fill my soul, warm heart, spark my creativity, and inflame my passion for teaching. And I can find these moments every single day. I feel so lucky to have a job like that.