About nikki

Education and Credentials:
University of San Diego
Masters in Special Education
Preliminary Education Specialist Credential
Specialized Authorizations in: Mild to Moderate Disabilities,
Autism Spectrum Disabilities, Instruction for ELL Development

My career in education started in 2014 when I decided to finally follow my heart and attend graduate school at the University of San Diego, where I earned my Master’s in Education and Education Specialist Teaching Credential. Additional specialized authorizations I earned include: Autism Spectrum Disorder Authorization, English Language Learners Authorization, and Mild/Moderate Disabilities Authorization. 

After graduation in 2016 I began working in Chula Vista Elementary School District as a Mild/Moderate SDC classroom teacher. Like a general education classroom, my students were with me all day. Unlike a general education classroom, the ages of my students ranged from kinder to third grade and all of my students had mild to moderate disabilities. The most common disabilities I worked with over the years include: Autism (AUT), Speech or Language Impairment (SLI), Mild/Moderate Intellectually Disability (ID), ADD-ADHD, Motor Delay, Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Other Health Impairment (OHI), and Emotional Disturbance. 

I absolutely LOVED everything about my classroom and my students. From the second my students stepped into my classroom each of them, along with their families, became a part of my family.

 
 

6 core pillars to my approach

  • To create a loving and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable to be themselves and safe enough to take chances and make mistakes.

  • For my students to not be defined or restricted by their disability, but rather better understood and connected to their special qualities and uniqueness.

  • To create a positive and consistent classroom-to-home connection for each student by staying in daily/weekly communication with parents.

  • For my students to gain the confidence and independence needed to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

  • For everyone in my students’ lives to see and understand just how special and amazing they each are.

  • To always teach to the “whole child” - in other words support my students academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

In addition to my above mentioned goals, each of my students also had a number of individualized goals and needs and it was my job to do everything I could to make sure all of these individual needs were not only properly defined and distinguished, but also that they were each successfully met. These goals included not only academic needs, but also behavioral, social, and (maybe most importantly) emotional needs as well. Each of these individualized goals were outlined in my students’ Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and worked towards everyday in the classroom. As the teacher and case manager of my students, I took full responsibility of maintaining and updating all IEPs efficiently, running IEP meetings, and working cooperatively with other IEP members in order to ensure compliance with all parts of each IEP. 

why i started exceeding expectations

 

As much as I loved my students, this job started to become too much for me. Because I loved and cared for my students so much I was working 24/7 because there was ALWAYS more I could be doing for them. Whether it was sitting at home at night creating personalized social stories to teach a student how to properly play at recess, or rewriting a students IEP for the hundredth time to make sure it was worded just right, there was always something to be done and I felt like there was no one else to do it except for me. I gave 1000% percent of myself to my classroom everyday and, in all honesty, wore myself out. I realized the only way to last in the classroom was to put up boundaries and not let the job take over but this was something I was not able to do. 

I also started to feel the restrictions of being a part of the district. The whole special education system in schools (ex. IEP meetings, student placement, eligibility) follow such strict and legal guidelines that I strongly believed it hindered my ability to help my students and their families to the fullest extent. Schools are trying so hard to follow protocol appropriately that, in my personal opinion, students are the ones suffering because decisions are not being made based on what is best for each student. I also strongly believed that parents were not being informed or a part of the process as much as they should be. There is SO much to know about the ins and outs of the special education process and I felt like the parents were being left in the dark on a lot of things that effect their children on a daily basis.

After reflecting on all of the reasons why I left my job, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something missing in the world of special education and it was going to be my goal to try and figure out what it is and fix it! This is what led me to my business idea for Exceeding Expectations; my own entity where the daily dos and don’ts of a school district are not limiting my freedom and ability to help my students and their families to the best of my ability! 

Here at Exceeding Expectations:

  • I am free from the many daily tasks that come along with being a classroom teacher and able to spend my time focused on the individual needs of my students

  • I am given the time and freedom to explain the IEP process to parents as in depth as they would like

  • Hoping to work with classroom teachers to ensure proper support for your childs’ needs in the classroom and reduce the teachers workload the best I can

  • Creating the safe environment for your child to excel academically, socially, and emotionally and work towards self-efficacy and independence each day

join me!