parham

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
--Ben Sweetland

NICOLE PARHAM, Early Elementary Special Education

Nicole Parham teachers the Early Education class at Walgrove Avenue Elementary school, a class comprised of kindergarten, first and second grade students with special needs. While she has only been a part of the Walgrove family for one and a half years, she has always been dedicated to working with children as well as providing equal access to community resources and communities in need.

Earning a BA in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley in 1999 gave Nicole an interdisciplinary perspective that introduced her to many aspects involved in helping a wide range of communities with unique challenges. Her understanding and empathy expanded through her work as a Case Manager and Program Specialist for the Los Angeles Housing Authority. This experience served as a mirror into the lives of a people who desperately wanted to improve their quality of life in spite of their daily obstacles. Nicole became passionate about teaching as a way to provide young people the tools to achieve their goals.

She received her MA in Special Education from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2004. She also earned a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with an emphasis on Mild to Moderate Disabilities. For the past 4 years she has been a Special Education Classroom teacher for grades k-2 and 6-8 and has also worked as Resource teacher for grades k-8.

Nicole believes that a Special Educator’s primary role is to impart life skills to students to ensure self-sufficiency throughout adolescence and adulthood. She also feels teachers should introduce students to glimpse of life beyond their disabilities, to encourage them to overcome challenges to live the most fulfilling life possible.

BACK TO TEACHERS