Today’s conversation is with someone who is truly sunshine personified! Lynn Mahaffey is a special educator I am honored to know as a professional and a friend who works in the Columbia Public Schools in Columbia, Missouri, in a RISE classroom - Reaching Independence through Structured Education.

We talk through her education journey, including some twists and turns you might not have seen coming. We also talk about how special education has changed in the course of her career. Our conversation travels through essential concepts for effective teaching and the importance of having a balance and focusing our efforts on what works for the individual student. Lynn does a great job of thinking aloud about the intense level of knowledge and skill that makes good teaching look effortless.

(My apologies for the sound quality - we recorded in her classroom and there was a mechanical hum I couldn't edit out with my limited technical skill. I'm still learning...)
 
Here is a resource Lynn mentioned:

• TASH www.tash.org Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. The inclusive practices TASH validates through research have been shown to improve outcomes for all people.