Ms. Veronica Shelton was recently honored as the Decatur County District Teacher of the Month for October after being selected as the Riverside High School Teacher of the Month. We recently sat down with Ms. Veronica to discuss her career as an educator.
Veronica is a Decatur County native and graduate of Riverside High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health and human performance with an endorsement in special education. Ms. Veronica has been in education in her hometown for 20 years.
Ms. Veronica said her favorite part of teaching, specifically special education, is witnessing her students with diverse learning needs progress socially and academically. “The hardest part of teaching special education is witnessing the day to day struggles and challenges faced by my students and parents and not having the ability to alleviate their hardships beyond my role as an educator,” said Ms. Veronica.
When asked about her philosophy of education, Veronica said, “as a special education teacher, I am committed to fostering a fair and supportive educational environment for all students. I advocate for the rights and needs of those with diverse learning challenges. I strice to empower students by instilling a sense of confidence and self-worth, enabling them to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential. I am their voice.”
Ms. Veronica wants to bring awareness to the limited resources for families with children with disabilities in small, rural areas such as Decatur County. She is always looking for ways to fund resources for these students and parents to make their lives a little easier and to help better the students’ future.
Ms. Veronica said that because she was born and raised in Decatur County, she wanted to come back to her hometown to serve the community as an educator. We are so proud that Veronica came back home to pour into the lives of the students and parents of Decatur County.