A Clover Park School District story.
Our CPSD Staff Spotlight this week features Carter Lake Elementary School special education teacher Samantha Priddy.
This is Samantha’s second year as an educator. As a new teacher, she is grateful to have started her career in a role that suits her. “It was a sort of a coincidence that I got placed in special education, but I soon realized that it’s my niche and where I’m meant to be,” she said.
Samantha is Carter Lake’s sole special education teacher and works with more than 30 students in grades K-5.
For Samantha, working as a special education teacher on Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been a perfect fit for her expertise and experience. “I have a military affiliation, and I think it helps me relate to my students a little more,” she said. “Once I started in special education, I realized how much I could help kids who need some more support, and I felt so good at the end of the day knowing I made a little bit of a difference.”
As she nears the end of her second year as an educator, Samantha is proud of the strides she has made and the progress she has seen in herself and her students.
“Compared to last year I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I’m very impressed with how the students have come back from virtual learning and coped so well with that transition. I’m always happy telling parents that their students have surpassed expectations or are meeting their goals, and I’ve been able to do that often this year.”
