Petersburg School District has a new middle and high school special education teacher. Rosal Concepcion was hired this summer. But, she says, since she’s from the Philippines, it took some time to get the necessary paperwork squared away in order to start her job in Alaska. She began teaching in January, after the winter break.
Concepcion sat down to talk with KFSK’s Hannah Flor about discovering her passion for special education, and her approach to teaching. And she talks about why she wanted to move all the way to Petersburg Alaska. She says she’s been stunned by the warm welcome she’s received since she arrived.
Rosal Concepcion:
I was actually looking for a school that is completely different from the places I worked before, a place that is small, with people who are concerned and caring for each other. And then I saw the place – Petersburg, I said, “Okay, so what’s in Petersburg?” And then I checked, like, how many people live here? What are the things that you can find here? And then, I don’t know, for some reason I found it like, maybe that’s a place for me, I want to start a whole new life here in Petersburg, where, it’s not going to be too many people. So I said, Petersburg might be the perfect place for me. So this is where I want to work if given a chance to work here. And I’m very thankful that, you know, Ms. Erica, our superintendent, and also Ms. Cyndy Fry, the director of special ed gave me a chance to work here.
Reporter:
Tell me about working in special education. Why is that what you chose to teach?
Rosal Concepcion:
Well, I believe that I was born to teach students with special needs. When I was like six years old, or seven years old, we had this neighbor of ours who couldn’t speak. And a guess, among her friends, I was the only one who could understand her. You know, I didn’t know anything about, you know, deaf and hard of hearing. But I was using my natural gestures, facial expression, and then my sign, not really sign language, but something like [it] to communicate with her. And she understand what I’m saying. So, since then, I said to myself, Oh, I want to communicate with people who have needs like her.
Reporter:
How do you know that you’re succeeding with your students?
Rosal Concepcion:
The goal of my students is for them to communicate. You know, it could be in either using verbal, or probably sign language or using the some devices. I know that the goals being met, if, for example, I can see that reflection to my students. Like, for example, I ask a simple question, and then she was able to answer that question. Like, I don’t have to repeat my question. It’s just like, I can see the reflection, and then I will get the feedback from the parents that the student is actually using that at home. It’s not just in the school setting. At home, and then in the community as well.
Reporter:
Is communication, the sort of central goal with your students?
Rosal Concepcion:
Basically, yes, mostly, most of my students, that’s the big, you know, that’s the big concern for all of us. Because it’s important for us, you know, that they will be able to communicate with us their needs, their wants, and simple greetings and goodbyes, and then be able to tell us if they’re asking for help. So that’s the main goal of, you know, for our students at home, at school and everywhere.
Reporter:
Do you get feedback from parents? Do they see the difference?
Rosal Concepcion:
Yes. The good thing here, you know, is that parents are – they actually ask you – they’re very proactive when it comes to the education of their children. And I really like that. So far, I’m hearing good feedback. For example, one of my students, the parents said that she taught him how to use sign language before. And then, you know, her son stopped because no one communicated with him using sign language. He saw me signing, it as automatic that he signed back to me and I got excited. I said, “Wow, I didn’t know that this student know how to use sign language!” And then I started signing with him. And so many other students, so they responded positively. And then the parents said that they liked that because that’s another way of communication. Again, the goal is for them to be able to communicate.
