Special Education Teacher Narissa Styles uses Smart Start Grant Program training in the classroom

 

Apr 17 2023 2:15 pm

Narissa Styles is a Special Education Teacher at Red Jacket Education Center. She taught a combined 3rd and 4th grade class while participating in the Smart Start Grant Program. 

The program, which introduced Ms. Styles to a fruitful partnership between Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES and The University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, helped her grow as an educator. New York State learning standards, she said, can be murky and difficult to grasp — the Smart Start Grant Program helped her learn how to use those standards creatively in the classroom.

"This is a very supportive program. I found the mentors to be extremely knowledgeable, accessible and supportive every step along the way," Ms. Styles said. "I had a vague understanding of the newest science standards ... and this opp helped me to deepen that knowledge."

Now, Ms. Styles said, she can be a teacher leader for her colleagues and help guide others down the same path.