Walking down the math wing, Resource Specialist Program (RSP) teacher Megan Hunt is back on familiar grounds this fall, starting her 10th year teaching at the school after a 3-year stint working as a program specialist and interim director in the Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) high school district.
Previously, she taught in the Achieving Student Success with Intervention Support and Therapy (ASSIST) program from 2014 to 2022; this year, after reflecting on her experiences, she decided that a return to the classroom was what she wanted.
ASSIST provides individualized interventions and supports students in their classes and offers online classes as needed. The program works to rehabilitate students who have suffered from mental health issues or experienced trauma.
Attending the University of Vermont for her undergraduate studies, Hunt majored in environmental studies and originally had no intentions to teach. She proceeded to earn her master’s degree at CSU Monterey Bay, where she taught classes at night while attending an intern-life program during the day. That experience gave her her first exposure to teaching.
Hunt first began substitute teaching after her son was born; despite initially finding teaching unappealing, she gradually gained a passion for it. She specialized in special education.
“What I enjoy about this role is that it provides the opportunity to be really creative and really student centered in the work that I do — working with a smaller group of students and really trying to figure out how to help them be successful at school,” Hunt said.
Hunt is guiding students in three study skills periods in addition to an English class. Within study skills, she teaches executive functioning and aspects such as communicating with teachers. She hopes for her students to achieve management skills as well as develop efficiency in accessing their accommodations and managing their course work. In terms of teaching, she helps students develop skills such as carrying out everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations.
Ultimately, Hunt finds her joy in teaching within the inclusive community of SHS, feeling welcome and excited to work with fellow staff. Hunt said her passion lies within working with students who learn and grow over time, and to see their progress makes her infinitely proud. She emphasizes building positive and friendly relationships with her students, hoping to foster a loving and welcoming environment on campus.
“One of the perks of being a special education teacher is you get to work so closely with students and really get to know them,” Hunt said. “When you get to work with students over a few years, it can be really rewarding to see how far they’ve come.”
