Recipient’s Name:  Ruth Boughan

School:  Blair Road Public School

Subject Area:  Communication-Behaviour Class (for children with autism spectrum disorder)

Number of Years Teaching: 12

Ruth loves the children in her classroom.  She loves seeing their joy as they learn and their excitement when they hear a story.  Each of her students has communication needs.  Some are verbal, some are non verbal.  To keep things running smoothly Ruth is always with her students and pays close attention to structure to reduce her students’ anxiety.  Their successes come in little tiny steps which Ruth celebrates in big ways.  One of Ruth’s goals is to teach and model for her students how to behave in the community so that they can go out to a movie or a restaurant with their families.  She clearly stated that she could not do what she does in the classroom without the support and commitment of her three EAs.

Ruth believes that she is “suppose to be” in this classroom.  She has always been interested in the special education population.  She finds joy in each day through her students’ smiles, their eye contact with her and when she sees them relaxing at school.

Michael, one of Ruth’s colleagues wrote this about Ruth:

Ruth teaches a class of students who have all been diagnosed with some form of autism.  Their ages range from 4 to 12 and each student has very unique needs.  Many of them struggle with basic language skills and have difficulty with impulse control.  Teaching such a class would be challenging for any teacher but Ruth is able to in a way that is rewarding for both her and her students.  For example, she always finds the humour in incidents that would rattle most teachers such as when one of her students decides to run as fast and as far away from the classroom as possible.  I think Ruth views it as a good excuse to get a bit of exercise.

Ruth does not keep these students sheltered in a classroom but instead involves them in the greater community and makes them feel part of it.  Her students are therefore seen as Blair Road students, not students in the autism classroom.

Her students are cared for and treated with compassion.  She also wants to see them succeed and she wants them to take pride in their accomplishments.  I see how happy her students are when they come to school and I see the appreciative look on parents’ faces as they bring their children to the classroom door.  Ruth is a truly wonderful educator who I respect because she understands what her students need.