Senior Special Teacher - Ketevan Gogoladze

"There is no skill that is impossible to develop if you work correctly" stated Ketevan Gogoladze, a special teacher at Tbilisi №31 and №114 public schools.

The received master’s education helped Ketevan Gogoladze to join the professional development scheme of a special teacher and become a senior special teacher in 2021, which will be reflected on her renumeration.

Ketevan Gogoladze, a third-year psychology student took an internship at a rehabilitation-diagnostic centre where children with special needs were cared for. During her internship there, she achieved exceptional results with children.

"Inclusive education at that time was quite new in a school environment, so I was very interested in what was happening. It was evident, that not all students were given equal opportunity to showcase their maximum potential. Even though I have graduated not long ago, I quickly assessed the internal dynamics, and realized if it was for me, I would have done everything for these students, and help them to demonstrate their full potential.” – recalls the teacher.

A few months later, when a public internship program was announced for students, a public school was among the alternatives. As she recalls, she came to school with huge ambitions, but this was her first collision with reality. Realizing that everything was quite difficult, psychologists and special educators had to fight on many fronts at school in order to create a real inclusive education.

During the internship it became clear that her theoretical or practical knowledge was not enough. So, she started looking for programs where she could increase her competence and, eventually discovered a master's degree program in special education at Ilia State University. Upon graduation, she gained valuable knowledge and practical experience in this field.

Ketevan Gogoladze is happy that inclusive education is evolving on a daily basis, but there is still a lot of work to be done. This was especially evident during the pandemic, as students with special needs, require much more than just the images seen on screen. Even with pronounced attention and behavioural difficulties, it is much more difficult for a child to absorb information merely from the screen.

"At the same time, as with everything, there was a positive side to distance learning. Parental involvement has greatly increased. A key part of my job during the distance learning process was the direct communication with the parents. It was to them that I gave activities and instructions on how to deliver it to the child and as a result, we achieved quite satisfactory results.

Special teachers face many challenges. In addition to working individually to develop the skills of students with special needs, it is essential to assist teachers, familiarize parents with learning strategies, and, in general, create a healthy environment for children. Working on all the rings is equally important because only complex work brings results. There is no skill that is impossible to develop if you work properly with people of any age."