Ms. Planavsky is a new special education teacher here at Vestal High School. She’s originally from Johnson City, New York, and this is her fifteenth year teaching. Nine of those years were spent teaching at Binghamton schools, with the rest in Catholic schools. Ms. Planavsky said that other teachers have been very helpful since she began teaching here.
She recalls being interested in teaching since a young age. Since her brother had his own struggles in the public school system, she was motivated to become a special education teacher, specifically.
In the classroom, Ms. Planavsky finds it important to connect with students on a personal level. She finds building a positive relationship with her students to be important. Ms. Planavsky says knowing who her students are as people allows her to teach with their individual needs in mind.
Teaching special education has taught Ms. Planavsky how to work with a diverse group of people based on what they need to succeed in the classroom. Helping her students overcome their academic struggles and thrive is what Ms. Planavsky finds most rewarding about teaching.
Ms. Planavsky’s first year teaching at Vestal High School is also her first year teaching high school aged students! She looks forward to seeing her students walk across the stage and be part of their journey to graduation.