Hi there—thanks for stopping by!
I’m Michaela! From the time I was in high school, I’ve always known I wanted to work with individuals with special needs. My journey started the summer I turned 16 and volunteered for the first time as a camp counselor for kids with Muscular Dystrophy.
I grew up in Alpine, Texas, a small and remote town not far from Big Bend National Park. I made the drive from far west Texas to the MDA camp in Happy, Texas (near Amarillo), every summer until my second year in college.
After high school, I joined AmeriCorps NCCC and spent a year traveling the country, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, working in food banks, hurricane recovery, and supporting children in need.
I started college the year after in the art department at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ’em Horns!) as an art major, but it didn’t take long to realize my heart was somewhere else. So, after my first semester, I made the switch—and it was the Best. Decision. Ever.
While earning my Special Education degree at UT, I stayed involved through Best Buddies and working at summer science camps teaching children how to build robots and model rockets.
After graduation, I taught in a self-contained special education classroom for grades K–5, where I saw firsthand how hard it can be to find meaningful materials for children with learning disabilities.
My public school didn’t provide much when it came to educational materials for my students, and I’m guessing yours probably doesn’t either.
Creating my own teaching materials inspired me to create Especially Education—downloadable curriculum full of hands-on, differentiated resources built around the skills our students need most.
I know how stretched teachers can feel. My goal is to give special education teachers ready-to-use, research-backed tools that make learning accessible and enjoyable—for both you and your students.
Appropriate, effective and engaging hands-on activities that make learning accessible and exciting for your students- so you can relax and enjoy teaching.
Designing curriculum for my Teachers Pay Teachers store provides so many benefits, but one of my favorites is meeting other dedicated teachers through this caring tight knit community.