Ansley Dean is a new special education teacher at Mill Creek. Dean graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University, and she majored in special education.
When asked what inspired her to become a special education teacher, she said, “My senior year of high school, I actually got into a study skills class. I ended up getting involved in the classroom and just changed my whole outlook on everything, so just being involved throughout high school, it just made me want to do it even more and then once I got into college, I enjoyed it a lot more when doing all my student teaching and all that just really drew me to the occupation.”
Deans recalls her time as a student teacher during Covid and explains, “I was student teaching in the true chaos. Things like kids online and all that, so it definitely feels like we are on the way back to normal, like having all of my kids here, being able to actually teach in person and not have to do any computer stuff.” Dean says. “It’s so relieving because going into my student teaching placement, I was so nervous because, given that I’m younger I’m still not as tech savvy as some of these teachers.”
Dean’s responsibilities go beyond the classroom, “I also coach softball and some of the girls ask me, why are you so energetic?” Dean continues, “it’s literally the energy from them, it shines onto me and so I just want to be that bright light for everybody else.”
“Just making an impact, being able to tell that you’re making a difference in the students’ life. Every day is a different day here,” says Dean.