Mr. Stiska

By Will B.

Mr. Stiska, a Special Education teacher at Correia, didn’t always want to be a teacher. He was originally hoping to go into the arts, especially when he was young. However, he found that he could actually use this art background when in the classroom. He decided to become a teacher because a friend of his encouraged him to try it. He began by volunteering at Logan Elementary School. He enjoyed the Special Education area and decided to continue on as a teacher. Thus, he went into Special Education.

Not before going to college! He attended National University for his teaching credential. He personally believes that his strengths as a teacher include, according to him, “...understanding my students’ special needs, working diligently with my students towards their goals and curriculum.” Before Correia, he also worked at Walt Whitman Elementary. His experience is such that he has been able to determine good qualities in a teacher. “I think patience, open-mindedness, and organization is an important quality of a special education teacher,” he says.

Finally, his advice for future students is, “The world is a quickly changing place with technology,” Mr. Stiska says, “ I work on honing foundational skills with my special education students so they can participate to the fullest extent of their abilities in society.”

“I think students should focus on building upon foundational skills in areas such as writing, being articulate, understanding math/science, and having exposure to humanities to be well-rounded adults,” he concludes.