March 1 was Employee Appreciation Day! We are celebrating our team members all month long by sharing their stories. Meet Lydia Shelley, a paraprofessional at The Learning Spectrum’s Central campus, who creates an environment full of love and respect in her classrooms.
What is your favorite thing about working here?
My favorite thing about working here at TLS is the amazing staff and students. When I first came to TLS I had recently come from a job where I was not appreciated and was nervous to start somewhere new fearing I wouldn’t fit in. Within my first week of working here I had fallen in love with the job and the positive environment in the building. I changed my major from occupational therapist to special education within my first week working here. I found what I loved to do, and TLS made that decision easy for me. Everyone here is so supportive and encouraging, it’s really like a big family! Our students here are even more amazing and unique in their own ways. They make my job so rewarding and truly shine a light in my life; I love each one of them!
What keeps you coming to work each day?
My students of course! Having the privilege to watch them grow and learn each day keeps me motivated to continue to do what I love. Of course, there are always going to be ups and downs, but it’s these moments that I appreciate the most when I get to work through these conflicts with my students and show them how strong they are and that there is always a positive side!
How do you make an impact on students’ lives?
I make an impact on my students’ lives by coming to work each day ready to go, leaving my personal life at the door to fully be present for my students. I always try to keep a positive attitude and make sure they feel safe and loved!
Last year, we rolled out our BetterTogether guiding principles. Which one of our values resonates with you most personally and why?
The value that I resonate with the most personally is inclusive. I picked this one because all I want is for my students is for them to feel loved and seen when they enter my room. A classroom environment greatly impacts student success and I always make sure my students feel valued and respected in my classroom. Everyone is welcome and has an equal opportunity to succeed!
What does a “day in the life” look like for your role?
Currently I am a paraprofessional at TLS Central. I am in a high school classroom for the first half of my day and get to work with those amazing kids. In high school we work on a lot of life skills and social skills. For the second half of my day after lunch I am a one-on-one for a ten-year-old in 3rd grade. Going from big kids to littles is a fun switch and I enjoy being in both rooms so much!
Can you talk a little bit about your career trajectory and what led you to where you are now?
I have always loved working with children, I nannied or babysat all throughout high school and I knew I wanted to work with kids. I was very interested in occupational therapy and started shadowing a teacher in a school district my first semester of my senior year, and my second semester I was going to shadow an OT at children’s hospital so I could see which side of OT I liked better. Until Covid hit! I lost my nanny job and my shadowing experience, knowing I had to move out for college in a few months I had to get a new job fast. The only places hiring were grocery stores, so I started working third shift as a stocker at Giant Eagle. I worked there until I started college online. I then worked at a nursing home as a server for about 2 ½ years before I was told about an opening at TLS a paraprofessional. I put it off for a while because I was not a fan of school growing up and didn’t see myself enjoying it, but I wanted something new and love working with kids. Within my third day being there I was so confident that this was what I wanted to do, I fell in love with it! I changed my major that semester and now have one more year until I graduate and can become a special ed teacher!
What has been your proudest moment or accomplishment in your role?
This is a very hard question! I think a proud moment or accomplishment in my role so far is hearing positive feedback and how much I have helped a student through their parents. Hearing from a student’s parents that they visibly see a positive difference in their child makes me feel very accomplished and like I am making an impact even when it feels like I’m not.
What is something about you that not many people know?
One thing that not too many people may know about me is that I have dyslexia! I am not the strongest at spelling so unless you’re a close friend or my students you wouldn’t know.