Henrico's Top Teachers – Christine Chambers

No teacher survives the classroom without a healthy dose of patience. But for those who work with physical and special needs students, the trait is even more crucial, because of how long it may sometimes take for students to be able to actualize lessons they've practiced and been taught for months.

Christine Chambers knows this well, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Chambers has taught exceptional education since 1994 – 17 years in Richmond and the past eight years in Henrico. She's in her second year at Wilder Middle School teaching integrated services to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders – some of whom are non-verbal.

Because of their disabilities, "the kids are much more challenging," Chambers said, "and so their achievements. . . even though they are small achievements, they're big achievements for them."

One student who wouldn't engage in anything all year now will interact with an iPad lesson for five minutes, Chambers said. That's a win. Another with whom she spent several years working on the basic task of tying his shoes is now able to do so by himself. Another win.

"Mrs. Chambers is diligent in finding the best way to have the students communicate and engage in their learning," one colleague wrote in a nomination letter. "This entails making individual communication cards, tactile and sensory learning devices and making functional positioning devices to help student’s access their school environment. Mrs. Chambers provides a positive yet structured learning environment for her students and works to meet the various students’ needs and finding what motivates each student."

To Chambers, this is simply where she belongs.

"Being patient is kind of in my nature," she said. "I don't think I could do regular ed[ucation]. These kids are wonderful; they have such great personalities if you spend the time getting to know them. They all have such great independent spirits."

Chambers routinely creates mechanisms or tools to help individual students with unique needs. For example, she made several positioning pillows for her classroom to assist one student's access and comfort.

Because of the specialized nature of what she does, Chambers has moved between three different middle schools, based upon where the greatest need exists. Earlier this year, she realized that a former student of hers from Rolfe Middle School had become an employee at Wilder in the kitchen. Success stories like that make her job that much more meaningful.

"You've got to get to know each kid and show them that you care, that you value them as a person," Chambers said. "Then they realize that they're a person first and not a disability first. I've always tried to treat them like they're my own kids."