Preparing Tomorrow’s Special Education Teachers Through Hands-On Experience

Exceptional education is about more than what happens in a textbook. It requires patience, creativity, adaptability, and a deep understanding of every student’s unique strengths and needs. This summer, twelve University of South Florida students had the opportunity to develop those skills firsthand through the Pepin Academies Summer Institute.

Over the course of four weeks, aspiring Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teachers worked alongside 40 Pepin Academies students in grades 3–12, gaining invaluable classroom experience while helping students strengthen their academic skills and prepare for the upcoming school year.

For the future educators, the experience brought classroom lessons to life.

“This has been great. It’s been nothing I could have prepared myself for,” said USF student Solee Boutilier. “I think this is the kind of thing where you can read about it in a textbook, but you’re not going to understand it until you’re in the classroom. So, this has been awesome.”

Boutilier said the experience also gave her a newfound appreciation for the work educators do every day.

“It’s made me more appreciative of my teachers because, wow, there is a lot that goes into it. Being able to adapt what students need into every single lesson… I feel very grateful for all my teachers growing up.”

That ability to adapt was one of the biggest lessons for fellow USF student Maya Moneze, who learned to shape each lesson around her students’ interests and learning styles.

“I took what they know and enjoy and morphed it into our daily routine,” Moneze said. “We learned through games, so everything I taught used activities that engaged them. I changed my lesson plans at least three times a day based on comments they told me, and that’s been a really big part—being able to adapt to their needs.”

The Summer Institute also made a lasting impact on Pepin Academies students, who received individualized support and encouragement from the future educators.

“I feel that they want us to learn more and be ready for a new grade, a new level,” said incoming sixth grader Savannah McGowan. “They made it fun and treated you with respect. If something was hard for us, they would find a way to help us understand it in our way.”

The program concluded with a special student showcase created in partnership with Arts4All Florida, a University of South Florida-affiliated arts education program. Throughout the summer, students explored dance, music, and visual arts before presenting an original performance celebrating America’s 250th birthday and the nation’s diverse cultures and traditions.

Programs like the Summer Institute demonstrate the value of investing in both today’s students and tomorrow’s educators. By providing future special education teachers with meaningful, hands-on classroom experience, Pepin Academies is helping prepare a new generation of compassionate professionals who understand how to meet students where they are and help them succeed.

The Pepin Family Foundation is proud to support initiatives that create brighter futures for students with learning disabilities while strengthening the pipeline of dedicated educators who will serve them for years to come.