1. JoAnn Hinksmon’s Introduction

2. MY 3 FAVORITE THINGS My Family, my twin sister, and nature

3. My interests include; Practicing Reiki, Kundalini yoga, meditating, family, friends, and nature.

4. WHO I AM This September marked the beginning of my 4 th year as a Special Education Teacher’s Assistant in a public school system. I’ve worked in multi-disabled preschool, 4 th and 5 th grade inclusion classrooms and now I assist in the behavioral disorders middle school classroom. I also teach part time at a local private preschool. My professional background includes having taught Kindergarten and Preschool at a private Montessori school for 6 years. I received my BA in Psychology and Child Development at Ashford University last summer and my Montessori certification at North American Montessori Training Center in 2004. I’m 45, married to my best friend and our extraordinary 14 year old son is a freshman in high school.

5. MY PROFESSIONAL FUTURE Teaching special education full time in the school system I currently work in is my main goal. Eventually, I plan to become a member of the school system’s Child Study Team. I also see myself counseling children and families in the future.

6. MY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Having lived in the same town through out my childhood, I was fortunate to attend the same public school system from K-12. My sixth grade science teacher, Mr. Wilson listened with respect, smiled and laughed every day and taught me that learning is not limited to text books but is something that happens everywhere. He also instilled in me a deep love of nature and Earth Science. As a Montessori teacher in an eco-school, I was thrilled to teach Earth Science, help children discover the joy of nature and a love of learning. Now as a public school education professional, it is my joy to work with special needs students everyday and to help them thrive.

7. MASTERS IN ECUDATION WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN SPECIAL EDCUACATION The masters I am earning will allow me to fulfill the NJ Department of Education requirements for all public school teachers. Additionally, the content taught will prepare me to meet the needs of today’s diverse special education learners.

8. “KNOWLEDGE IS POWER” Knowledge has the power to open doors and change lives. By providing my students with a strong set of diversified learning tools and content knowledge as well as a love of learning and a respect for the power that knowledge truly has, I will honor my students and my calling as a teacher.