“My confidence in my students is my strength. I think they are always capable of more. With my love and support, I believe they can reach their fullest potential,” shared Teacher Audrey Ann Bayogos as she reflected upon her 27 years of experience. She is a special education (Sped) teacher for a Special Day Class (SDC) at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Daly City, California, USA.
Through the years, Teacher Audrey has organically gained the ability to understand deeply the different learning disabilities that impact the educational triumph of every student. She was able to create an effective pedagogy that benefits every individual in her class. Because of her extraordinary contributions, she has become an asset to the institution. In full bloom, Teacher Audrey is at the pinnacle of her abilities. She has become well-rounded in her noble profession, backed up by experience, expertise, knowledge, and recognition.
But how does one reach their full potential? Teacher Audrey became a breadwinner in 1996. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with honours from the Philippine Normal University, Manila, Philippines. At her graduation, she was the recipient of the Psychological Society Leadership Award. During college, she was a consistent university scholar. She held key positions at the Supreme Student Council and at The Torch, the official students’ publication of PNU. She served as the Vice President for Internal Affairs and as a Features Editor, respectively.
A day after her graduation, she started teaching at the Philippine Montessori Center in White Plains, Quezon City. For 23 years, she was the classroom directress there. She managed a class with 20 to 24 students, ranging in age from two to six years old. During that time, she was also the Sped consultant at the Kids Connection Learning Center for almost eight years.
Together with her close-knit colleagues, they established the ANJOR Center for Special Education and Multi-Services, Inc., in December 2010. It is a special educational arm with programs specifically crafted for the benefit of the students. She spearheaded the creation of their special education program, assessment process, and strategy for coordinating with teachers. They provide one-on-one and group sessions for children with developmental delays. They also provide home management for parents and caregivers. She acts as program director and coordinates with the allied team, composed of developmental doctors, occupational, physical, speech, and behavioural therapists.
She has been trained in handling children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), global developmental delay (GDD), learning disability (LD), sensory processing disorder (SPD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental delays (PDD).
Teacher Audrey got married in 2018, the same year she got acceptance for a job in the USA. “I think I was destined to teach,” she said. Following her passion, Teacher Audrey started her teaching career in California, USA, in September 2019. As she carried on her mission, she was motivated to nurture and develop young children with special needs to help them maximise their potential and abilities.
Her qualifications in the USA are palpable. Teacher Audrey has California Basic Education Skill Test (CBEST) proficiency. Moreover, she has an Education Specialist Instruction Credential, Autism Authorization, and Mild to Moderate Severe Needs (MMSN) Credential.
Moreover, the district’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) provided her with “Handle with Care training,” which promotes the use of preventative strategies to de-escalate challenging student behaviours.
Teacher Audrey also received extensive professional development in writing legally defensible individual education programmes (IEPs), developing and teaching appropriate goals, and collecting the necessary data that is needed to complete student progress reports.
Aside from all the accreditation she has, Teacher Audrey also received awards from the educators’ community for her remarkable service. She was chosen as one of the Outstanding Global Educators for 2023 in the International Who’s Who Awards by the BETMA English in Vietnam in partnership with Aloysian Publication in the Philippines. Recently, she was hailed as the “Best Outstanding Special Education Specialist for Teaching Students with Extensive Support Needs” by the Dakilang Filipino Awards for 2024.
She has essential affiliations as well, such as being a member of the following: the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers (JEFT), National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET), National Education Association (NEA), and the Autism Partnership (AP).
“Ms. Bayogos’ work ethic, professionalism, and love for teaching are consistently shown every day that she comes to work,” applauded Colleen M. Miller, the former program coordinator for special education services at the Jefferson Elementary School District.
Even in the hardest situations, Teacher Audrey exhibits grit and affinity for her students. While teaching in California, she met parents who are well-known and experts in the field of medicine. Upon being informed, they cannot accept that their child is on the spectrum. They even threaten her of being sued. But she remained honest and respectful, telling them that she observed some delays and different behaviour in their child. Clearly, the child needs to be seen by a developmental paediatrician for an assessment so they can do an early intervention to help the child cope in school. Teacher Audrey is the number one advocate for her students. They were able to overcome this situation with the cooperation of the child’s parents and her directress.
It is no wonder why Teacher Audrey annually receives the Positive Climate and Culture Award in her classroom. Her colleagues are consistently impressed by Audrey’s positive attitude, dedication to her work, empathy for her students, professionalism, and productivity. Teacher Audrey has challenging students in her caseload. She had students with various disabilities. Some have behavioural challenges, severe learning disabilities, developmental disorders, multiple disabilities, and moderate to severe autism. In all those cases, Teacher Audrey showed her dedication and love for the students by creating a welcoming and caring environment. Indeed, Teacher Audrey has a skillset that is extraordinary in special education.
According to the California Department of Education (CDE), there has been a consistent shortage of special education teachers in the state for several years. There is a continued rise in the number of students who need special education services. This is one of the primary causes of the demand. On the other hand, there are only a very limited number of qualified candidates for special education teaching positions. Having Sped teachers under the Cultural Exchange Program gives a solution to this need. But because of the limited number of years of stay granted to teachers under this program, the shortage is not being addressed in the long term.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Teacher Audrey gave her best to support students in whatever way she could. This became more evident when she accepted the challenge to work as a home teacher for one of her former students. The student was severely avoiding coming back to school and demonstrating challenging behavior. With her consistent patience and compassion, she was able to restore the confidence of the student to return to the school setting. Even the parents of the child were so grateful to her.
It takes at least a decade to become exceptional. To become an expert in the field, one has to be self-reliant and dedicated to progress. Teacher Audrey has been navigating her career for almost three decades now. Her advocacy is not easy, yet with her faith, she kept pushing boundaries. Her love and faith for her students is astounding. Furthermore, her longevity in the field enables her to serve as a mentor for younger teachers. She delivers seminars and speeches on different programs and activities. She gives guidance and wisdom to help other educators understand different students. She also serves as an inspiration to make a difference in the lives of students.
All the successes she has right now, she lovingly dedicates to her adoptive parents. From them, she learned that families and love are not only born of blood. It is best cultivated with dedication and commitment to change someone’s life for the better.
About the Writer
Wilminia Dumaop is a Grand Prize Awardee of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. She also vested recognition in various organizations, such as the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) and The Lasallian Scholarum Awards, among others. She was the Editor-in-Chief of The Philippine Artisan, the Official Student Publication of the Technological University of the Philippines, from 2007 to 2009. In 2023, her love for design led her to establish an interior design company in Singapore. She writes articles as a way of self-expression and passionate endeavour. She has a deep-rooted respect for educators.
