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Kim Hickey
Middle School ELA Resource Teacher - Experienced
Skills
English Teaching
Special Education
IEP
Middle School
Public Education
<p>I am a lifelong resident of the New Orleans area with a diverse professional background, having worked in music and medicine. My personal and professional lives exposed me to people from all walks of life, a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds, and a range of health from "fit as a fiddle" - with a broken finger - to end stage bone cancer. As a child, I was one of the first IDEA students in my school district, attending elementary school first in the designated "special needs school" (located in a low-income area) where my classmates were predominately on reduced or free lunch and/or required accommodations due to their mental, emotional or physical challenges; the second half of my elementary schooling was in my district at a school where the children mostly looked like me and were from families similar to my own. This early dual experience informed who I am today in many ways, not the least of which is who were my friends/came to my defense when I was ostracized as both the "new kid" and the "crippled kid" at my new elementary school. </p><p>My education is in music, however the bulk of my professional experience is in the medical field. Given my background, medical was a good fit for me at the time of my graduation and I excelled in the field, even earning an MBA in Healthcare Management. However, I did not feel fulfilled or like I was making a difference. </p><p><br></p><p>I was fortunate to be able to take some time to reflect before jumping into the next big move. During that time, I worked as a substitute teacher. I spent many days in the special education classrooms and felt very much at home. I had the inkling that I might have found my calling, so I started the process to get certification. But a few days before school started in 2018, I got a call from a friend asking if I would be willing to take a long-term substitute position teaching ELA in the resource setting. Little did I know that that call would cement for me that teaching, specifically Middle School ELA Resource, was exactly my calling, and passion. </p>