The Department of Special Education’s Paraprofessionals Unlocking Licensure in Special Education (PULSE) program has created an active community since it was launched in May 2023. One year later, program organizers hosted the first PULSE Day on May 18th, 2024 to welcome new and current students to campus for a day of professional development and community building.
The PULSE program is designed for special education paraprofessionals with at least two years of classroom experience to earn their bachelor’s degree in special education and their Professional Educator’s License (PEL) with a Learning Behavioral Specialist 1 (LBS 1) endorsement. This program is fully online with coursework completed both synchronously and asynchronously. PULSE is streamlined from the traditional LBS 1 program and is designed to specifically meet the educational needs of adult learners and capitalize on their experiences as working paraprofessionals.
Students in the program are passionate educators committed to bettering their schools and communities. By continuing their education with PULSE, these students are developing their pedagogical skills while remaining in the classroom. One new student, Giselle Martinez, discussed her experience with PULSE Day and how it has already impacted her role as a paraprofessional.
Before PULSE, Martinez was pursuing a degree in political science and pre-law, but quickly changed course after discovering her passion for education. During her first time in college, she began working as a part-time special-education aid at a local elementary school and quickly fell in love. Soon after she transitioned out of college and into the classroom full time as a paraprofessional, and later found PULSE through a Facebook advertisement while looking into special education programs.
“I remember feeling so scared on the drive over to PULSE Day, and was dealing with a lot of anxiety about being on campus for the first time,” Martinez said. “But when I finally got there, I felt like I made it! I actually got in, I’m going to be a teacher, it’s real now!”
Students traveled from across the state to visit campus, starting their day by getting acclimated to the University and meeting their peers in-person at the Bone Student Center.
After arriving, students spent the day meeting with SED faculty, staff, and administration, attending enriching sessions and workshops related to their coursework, and building in-person connections with their peers. Later, students participated in Professional development sessions through the day, learning about Proactive and Preventative Behavior Practices and Assistive Technology to utilize in their special education classrooms.
“When the presenters were speaking about different behaviors, I remember shedding a small tear because I finally felt that I was being heard,” Martinez said. “My thoughts were finally being validated. The presenters provided us with many great resources that we were able to take away.”
Steve Mandel, a second-year PULSE student, also shared his experience of the day and appreciation for the professional development sessions. “The presenters were very informative,” he said. “Anytime I can get knowledge I don’t have, I want more, and someone taking the time to tell me what they know, I owe it to them and the students I teach to learn it.”
Mandel previously had a career in Marketing and Public Relations for a number of years before transitioning to education. “I no longer found my work fulfilling, so I started looking into education and met with a principal friend to discuss different paths I could take.”
Mandel found his passion while working as a substitute teacher, and transitioned to the classroom full time after finding a paraprofessional position which he has held for the last eight years. While he had been meaning to get his teaching licensure during that time, his devotion to his school community kept him from furthering his education until discovering PULSE.
“I was looking forward to PULSE Day for a long time,” he said. “The online program was the perfect fit, and the timing was right to put all of myself into it, and after a year of knowing one another virtually, I was especially looking forward to the chance to meet people.”
After breaking for lunch and enjoying getting to know the other students, the group took a tour of campus before returning to the Bone Student center and dividing up into their cohorts for further sessions. The current students attended Clinical and Student Teaching Workshop, and the incoming students joined an introductory session to get acclimated to campus resources and expectations as online students by walking them through all aspects of life as a 100% online student.
Martinez, who was a part of the incoming cohort’s session, said of the presenters, “It felt great having them care about the smallest details to our success. As a first-generation student, it gave me comfort that they care so much.”
At the day’s conclusion, students reflected on their professional development sessions and prepared for the semester to come. Students also walked away from PULSE Day with an ISU t-shirt, a bag of classroom materials, teaching resources, and other enriching items to celebrate their position within the greater ISU community.
Of the day’s experience, Mandel shared, “I expected joining the program that I would get an excellent education, but I didn’t expect to make new friends from my cohort after attending PULSE Day. After spending time together, we have a text chain that works like a support group with everybody, and we have found a way to become a close group.” He added, “I have a real passion for Special Education, and I found a like-minded group with PULSE, a community within and outside of education.”
“I felt like a real part of the University,” Mandel said of the day. “the students who didn’t attend missed out on getting to see campus. Getting to see the buildings and visit the bookstores, get merch, and to share all of that with my peers, it was energizing, I felt very welcomed.”
Martinez also shared her greatest joys of the day, “During our lunch break, I was about to talk to the other cohort. They gave us tips on how to succeed and some behind-the-scenes support on how to stay motivated when things get difficult. It felt comforting being able to get a “sneak peek” of PULSE from the students who were a year ahead.”
“I was very hesitant on going to PULSE Day,” she said. However, once the staff began to introduce themselves and the day truly began, she shared, “I knew I was going to have a great support system at ISU. I’m excited to see what these next two years have for me. I know it won’t be easy, but I know that the PULSE team will always support me in any way they can. I can’t wait for future PULSE days! “
