Whitney Mims

Background

About Whitney Mims

After working in a substantially separate program for early elementary aged students, first in a classroom for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and then in a functional life skills classroom for student on the autism spectrum, I returned to school to get my Masters at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Although I enjoyed working with my students, I wanted a stronger foundation in developmental psychology, research methodology, and special education policy before I moved forward. While in school, I interned at Program in Education, Afterschool, and Resiliency as a research assistant on a project developing an observational tool to assess afterschool science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program quality. My goal was to return to the classroom, where I could use the skills I've gained over the past two years to translate research-backed methods into day-to-day practice. I've taught for two years in both a substantially separate and inclusion setting. I am committed to remaining a special educator in an urban setting, preferably Boston! Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to see many different special education settings, through the lens of a number of roles. Central to all my experience is the importance of differentiation in ensuring success for all students. I'm especially interested in developing practices that provide more equitable behavioral supports.(i.e. PBIS) without losing high academic expectations, particularly for students with emotional or behavioral disabilities. I'm interested in better facilitating inclusion opportunities for students with the most significant needs.