Kathleen Bernier
Kathleen Bernier has been at the high school since 2016 as a paraprofessional teacher in the RISE Program, where students with autism or similar disabilities can interact with their peers. As a lover of inclusivity, Bernier knew Special Education was the path for her as soon as she began working as a substitute teacher in the RISE Program. Now, Bernier has her very own class at the high school.
Why is inclusivity such a big part of who you are and what you want to teach?
Because I feel strongly that if you, as a student, don’t feel welcome in my classroom, you’re not going to learn from me. Most of my relationships with students are trying to communicate that I’m here to learn about them and learn about their different identities and celebrate them.
What was your biggest adjustment in switching from being a paraprofessional to being a Special Ed teacher? Was that your plan all along?
My plan, to begin with, was actually just to be an English teacher. When I started subbing in the RISE program, I knew I was interested in Special Ed, and from then on I planned on becoming a Special Ed teacher at the high school. My paraprofessional position was just trying to push myself up the ladder a little bit more. The biggest challenge is trying to make sure I’m reaching every student no matter what challenges they’re facing that day. When I was a paraprofessional, someone else was there to help me, but now I’m the teacher, so I’m the one doing that.
What is your favorite Disney movie and why?
If I’m going to go animated, I would probably say “[The] Princess and the Frog” because the main character is so determined and motivated to build up her life on her own. If I’m going live-action, I normally would say “Pirates of the Caribbean.” If we’re including Marvel, probably “Endgame” or “Black Panther.”
Describe a memory that you feel has stuck with you throughout your entire life. How has this memory shaped how you are today?
I have a memory from when I was pretty young. At daycare, some older boys were mocking another girl, but I didn’t really understand how. When I got home I asked my mom what it meant, and it turned out it was a racial slur that I was unaware of as a five-year-old. It started a conversation with my mom about why that wasn’t okay, and how that probably made that person feel. It’s something that I took as a baseline for how to interact in those types of conversations and situations.
What is your favorite hobby?
I have always been a big reader. I just love escaping into those different worlds. I like to read fiction that’s from communities or perspectives that are not my own and nonfiction like poetry and memoirs. I’m reading Scyth right now for the English class that I’m teaching with Mr. Wang, and that’s totally not the genre I’m usually interested in, but I’m loving it.
What do you like to do with your family?
I used to camp every single year with my family, then I went to college and things got hard. We used to go the same week every year, and we would meet up with other families that we knew there. Our whole group was about 40 people, which was really fun. We always went to this campground up in Maine called Papoose Pond. We all had our different sites within the campground, but we would all meet up at night to do the nightly bonfire.