OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — 13 ON YOUR SIDE got to stop by one of our more nontraditional West Michigan schools for our latest Teacher of the Week surprise. At Young Adult Services with Ottawa ISD, staff members are helping adult students with disabilities with what they call "adulting 101."
“I’m very surprised. I appreciate the recognition, though, and I’m really thankful because I work with some really great people. Lots of great staff and students here. So, just thankful," said Morgan Giola after her colleagues surprised her with the news.
Young Adult Services director, John Koerner, said, “We had to convince Morgan to go to a conference room that she doesn’t typically go to, which she was pretty confused about, I think, and she didn’t know why she was being sent there but she played along like a trooper, and it worked out well.”
He also said, “Morgan is truly a first-class teacher. She’s amazing. We have amazing teachers all over the county, but Morgan is just – she’s one of a kind and she does amazing work and I think that she 100% deserves to be recognized for everything she does day in and day out.”
She’s originally from the east side of the state and said, “I started thinking about teaching in high school. I worked with early childhood students with special needs.”
Now, she’s working with adult students with special needs in West Michigan.
“The deeper I got into teaching the more I loved it and I’m thankful that I get to work with awesome students every day,” said Giola.
“We work with students who have special needs and we’re working on really those adult living skills and those life skills. So, we’re getting them ready for what’s next in their life,” said Koerner as he explained, “We don’t do reading and writing and math, really. We do adulting 101, really.”
“Every day is a new experience, especially here at Young Adult Services. We get to really go out in the community with our students and prepare them for really, truly what life looks like after school,” said Giola.
The director believes that, “The best teachers are the ones that have that grit and that perseverance and just the ability to push through when the days aren’t easy.”
“I think that’s a really special thing and unique thing about this field is that you really do get people who care and people who want to make a difference in the world. So, thank you to all the teachers and support staff out there because everybody does deserve the thanks,” said Giola.
“Being a special ed teacher is not simple. Showing up day in and day out and caring about students and pushing them to be their best – it takes a lot and the people that are doing that all over the state deserve to be recognized for that,” said Koerner.
If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, just text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.
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