about me...

HI! I am Donna Smith. I have been employed as an occupational therapist for the Niles Township District for Special Education since the summer of 2001. Over the years I have worked with students at many schools in our township, and I have learned a great deal and enjoyed my time at all of them. I feel very fortunate to be assigned to District 73.5 again this year, and love working with all of the wonderful students and teachers here.

Time really flies when you are having fun, and sometimes I can’t believe how quickly the years have gone by. My mom was an English teacher, and since I wanted to be just like her, I studied English and Education at Indiana University. I fell into and in love with special education when I came back home. I taught for a few years, and then I went back and got my Master’s degree in occupational therapy at Rush University. After that I worked in Early Intervention and with young children at Mercy Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital. I eventually decided to return to the schools, and I am grateful that I now get to call NTDSE (and member districts!) my home away from home. I like working in schools a lot, but I also really like going to school, and in 2009 I finished my doctorate in curriculum and instruction at DePaul University. Since then I have stayed connected to the academic world by teaching in the evenings in the Early Childhood Programs at DePaul and Columbia College. It is a nice way to stay informed about current research and best practices in education. It also helps me to maintain a gentle and thoughtful perspective about children and families, guides me toward understanding our schools on multiple levels, and constantly reminds me of how necessary it is to always be learning and growing as a teacher and as a therapist.

I live in Chicago with my husband Mark and our fluffy dog, Sulley. In our free time, we enjoy hiking in the National Parks, running, reading and visiting with family and friends, but mostly I love trying to grow flowers and vegetables in my garden and making a mess in the kitchen!

Please feel free to e-mail any time. I can be reached at dsmith@sd735.org. You can also follow me on Twitter (@DonnaOT735)!