Ms. Aimee Buckley, an active member on campus, and a special-ed teacher has worked at Amador for 20 years, benefiting students and teachers alike. With an even more active voice online in podcasts, Buckley has strong knowledge of teaching in general and aims to spread it to as many people as possible. 

“I actually graduated with a degree in psychology, and I wasn’t even planning on being a teacher … I started working at a school for children with emotional disturbance,” said Buckley. 

However, the counselor at a school was not the job that Buckley desired, and the school she was working at funded for her to get her teaching credential. However, all jobs consist of ups and downs, especially teaching. 

“The challenges I face in teaching tend to come more from non-student interactions,” said Buckley, “they’re more like the tremendous amount of paperwork, … but the students themselves are really wonderful and make it worth it.”

Mrs. Buckley has been awarded an award for her outstanding 20+ years of teaching at Amador, and she has more than 30 podcasts that she has been featured in, mostly about the ins and outs of teaching and education in general. 

“I literally have been teaching at Amador in the same room for 20 years. So no one has ever taught in this class other than me, because the building was actually built the summer before I started at Amador, it literally has only had one teacher,” said Buckley.

Teaching a special-ed class is oftentimes considered hard work, however, Mrs. Buckley has had a wonderful experience, and has been able to use many life lessons in her class. 

“One of the most important things about being a really good teacher is your connection with your students, and that they feel confident and comfortable to make mistakes around you so that they can learn and grow … being a good special ed teacher means you’re just a good teacher,” said Buckley. 

Connection is a very important factor in the relationship between students and teachers, and as Mrs. Buckley stressed, developing a positive relationship with the teacher is always important. 

“Teachers are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for students that they think are really engaged. It doesn’t mean that they’re the best students in terms of grades, but the ones who try the hardest are the ones who are going to get the extra attention,” said Buckley.