Former Barrington High School student and recent Illinois State graduate Emma Reno gives details on her career in teaching special education students and her passion for helping others.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: Why did you choose to pursue your career at Barrington High School?
ER: I chose to pursue my career at Barrington High School because I was a former student, and I had some really good experiences and some really good teachers that got me through high school. I was not the star student, but I saw the impact that teachers made on me, and that’s what I want to do here. I want to make sure students feel welcomed and that they can accomplish anything that comes their way.
Q: Who is your biggest influence that contributed towards who you are?
ER: My parents definitely have a huge positive impact on who I am and the morals that I follow. From BHS, Amy Winkelman is a huge support. I was in her clubs in high school, and got to know her really well. She has given me so much guidance and support when I was a student through college, and even now that I’m back working here.
Q: What are some of your biggest accomplishments?
ER: I think just getting through college, making friends, and getting a job that I really enjoy. There’s so many things in life that you encounter and you’re unsure that you’ll get through, but you always do. Remembering that is a huge accomplishment in itself, you really can do all the hard things that come your way.
Q: How has being a former BHS student affected your teaching?
ER: Hopefully it’s a positive effect, because I understand the school culture. I still know a lot of the teachers, so when I became a resource teacher, I was able to connect students to a lot of teachers that I had when I was in high school. If we need resources, there’s a lot of people that can help. I hope that by myself being familiar with the culture, people and the general building rubs off positively on my students. This can be a really good place for people.
Q: In this line of work, what challenges have you faced?
ER: I have faced a lot of good, healthy challenges. How do we adapt materials and processes for students, especially with students with all kinds of educational and functional needs? How do we make it appealing to students? There’s nothing worse than sitting in a boring class, so I always try to make it fun. Though, it can be really hard to make it fun when it’s essential learning. So, I’m always paying attention to what students are liking, but also creating a balance. I have to meet certain standards and cover certain things. There are a lot of things that come into being a teacher. It’s still a fun job, though.
Q: What goals do you have for your future self?
ER: I would love to be at BHS long-term. I hope that that’s an option for me. I’ve really enjoyed the half semester and current semester that I’ve been here, and it’s just really cool to work amongst teachers that I had, so I hope to be here long term. I hope to even maybe raise a family in the district, or just live on my own and stay around. I like this place.
Q: Do you have any advice you would give to a student choosing a career path similar to yours?
ER: Yes, as a graduate of 2020, do not stress about the colleges or the programs that you’re in. I was actually going to go to Harper College anyways, and it ended up working out in my favor due to everything being online. I really enjoyed my two years of Harper College, even though all of my friends weren’t there. It is still a good opportunity to learn. There are always opportunities for you, if you’re going into education or even other careers, to change your majors or try new clubs and activities, especially when you get to college or a preparation program. I would say definitely try new things. It really is fun. It feels uncomfortable until you decide whether or not it’s right for you.
Q: When did you realize you wanted to choose this career?
ER: I realized I wanted to choose this career when I was in high school. There was a choir class run by Mr. Pemberton. It had all students with various disabilities, and I was a teacher’s assistant there. I got to work with all of the students and go to all the choir concerts and outside events with them. It really made me realize how much I enjoyed it, naturally flowing into a career, which is cool. I continued through a summer camp for students with disabilities, and I’m still having a good time doing it.