While earning her bachelor of special education at Bowling Green State University, Cora Tucker was placed at the PATHE Center, an educational facility in Wood County open to students with significant behavioral or social needs.
At that time, Tucker said she had no intention of working with kids with disabilities.
Cora Tucker, who is pursuing a master’s in educational theory, has been working as a high school interventional specialist, supporting adolescents with disabilities in grades 9-12, while dealing with her own chronic illness.
“I had a class with five or six kids in it and I liked that small group setting,” she said. “Every day the kids came in and set goals for themselves and they declared who could help them meet their goal. One day, one of the kids came in and stated that her goal for the day was to have a safe day, and that I was one of the people who could help her make that happen. It dawned on me that I could build special connections with students while still sharing my love for literature with them in the special education world.”
Now pursuing a master’s in educational theory and social foundations at UToledo, Tucker is working as a high school intervention specialist, supporting adolescents with disabilities in grades 9-12.
“Teachers joke about remembering their ‘why,’ what keeps them teaching, but to me it’s the little victories,” she said. “When you work with kids with disabilities, their current skill level may be several grades below their peers. It can seem insurmountable to kids sometimes, but when I see kids celebrate improvement, no matter how small, it’s the best part of my day. I tell my kids all the time that success is different for different people. So, whether it’s an A or a C, every step toward that goal is a step worth celebrating.”
While working to become a teacher, Tucker was diagnosed with lupus, a chronic illness that can cause her immune system to attack parts of her body. She said her greatest challenge was managing her classes and her illness.
“It has the potential to impact my career for sure,” Tucker said. “Chronic illness isn’t a linear progression: I have had flare ups that have lasted me almost a year and I have been in remission too. It may become too much to teach but right now, I am able to do my job and show up for my kids, which I am thankful for. While it is a struggle, I have passed my courses and overall feel like I am doing really well.”
Dr. Edward Janak, a professor in the Department of Educational Studies in the Judith Herb College of Education, said Tucker is a fantastic writer and thinker.
“I have been fortunate enough that Cora elected to take a few of my courses as part of her program,” Janak said. “She is brilliant at making connections between theory and practice — university coursework and K-12 teaching — providing a voice from the field to her colleagues who may be a bit removed.”
After graduation, Tucker plans on continuing her teaching career and starting programs to bring more diverse literature into schools.
“I think it is important that students see themselves in books regardless of background, ethnicity, sexuality, disabilities and so on,” Tucker said. “All students deserve to be able to see themselves in the literature they consume. One of the best resources I had in high school were books that made me feel understood, seen and heard. Being a teenager is hard. Not all kids have support systems or family that can help them navigate the ever-changing world. Books can help that.”
