October is #LearningDisabilitiesAwarenessMonth
Meet Harnett County Schools Alumni, Michael Jackson…
Michael was a student at Coats-Erwin Middle School when teachers noticed that he was falling behind in reading and comprehension. He was referred to a CCR (Cross Categorical Resource) reading curriculum and placed on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan).
Education support programs like CCR and IEP provide one-on-one support that is not possible in a traditional classroom. This helped Michael and other students like him, by creating an enhanced learning environment where children can develop strong relationships with their teachers. For Michael, he felt comfort knowing that he had a teacher that he could trust to help.
Trust is essential to a successful student-teacher relationship. Trust provides the foundation for communication, cooperation, and collaboration, which lead to student success.
Michael Jackson went on to graduate from Fayetteville State University with a degree in Language and Literature. He is currently a teaching assistant at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan where he is pursuing a master’s degree in English Literature/Rhetoric Composition. He intends to continue this path into higher education as a professor.
Michael said, “When students are struggling, it is not that they don’t want to learn… they just need an alternative way to do so”. His experience in special education enabled him to overcome the stigma. He realized the scope of his abilities and was inspired to explore new possibilities.
As an educator, it has taught him to recognize signs of struggle in the classroom and gave him skills to help others overcome barriers to learning. He believes in being innovative when presenting information so that everyone can learn.
We are thankful for Michael and his teacher, Ms. Sharon Honeycutt for sharing his inspirational story with us. Ms. Honeycutt says that “seeing the success of a student validates the profession of teaching” and that the positive impact will continue to indirectly carry on to others.
#WeAreHarnett #InspiringLearnersToBeLeaders #WholeChild #LDAwarenessMonth #SuccessWithHCS