Sari Glavin: A special educator

Sari Glavin says the Flex-Track options offered by the Classroom and Community Support Program made going to college "a pleasure."

After earning her diploma in the intense and challenging Community and Classroom Support Program at Douglas College, you'd think Sari Glavin would want a break.

But after graduating in May 2005, she leapt at the chance to start work with the New Westminster School District immediately afterwards, trading one classroom for another.

"I wanted to dive right in there," says Glavin.

Now, on any given day, Glavin will work on one student's communication skills or help another with reading. A Special Education Assistant at a New Westminster elementary school, she helps children with various abilities in a number of different classrooms.

But no matter what her ever-changing day may throw at her, Glavin knows that working together with the classroom teacher is crucial to giving the children a positive learning experience.

"A good rapport with the teacher is extremely important," says Glavin. "The teacher is the one who develops the academic road the children travel, so you have to work as a team."

Glavin honed her skills as a team player in the Classroom and Community Support (CCS) Program. The two-year diploma program emphasizes hands-on learning and cooperative education.

"You learn how to work as part of a team in the program and that transfers over to the workplace," says Glavin.

Glavin transferred herself into the workplace with a second career after a long break.

She earned her Diploma in Therapeutic Recreation from Douglas College in 1991 and worked at a long-term care facility in Vancouver.

Looking for a new career, Glavin was attracted to Douglas College for three reasons. She had enjoyed her experience while getting her Therapeutic Recreation Diploma. She was also delighted to discover that she could use that experience to get a head-start.

Using the Flex-Track Options offered by her program, Glavin was able to get credit for some of the courses she'd already taken, making her passage through CCS faster and less expensive.

"It was great because I didn't have to redo courses I'd already taken," says Glavin. "It made going back to school a pleasure."

Finally, Glavin's decision was driven by the high esteem in which Douglas College's CCS Program is held in school districts such as New Westminster.

"They really look for that diploma or certificate from Douglas College because they like the program and they have a relationship with the College," says Glavin.

The CCS Program offers the optional Behaviour Interventionist specialty, where students learn to support children with autism in home, community and school settings. Demand for trained practitioners in this field is very high.

There is also an unique 18-credit Behaviour Interventionist (BI) citation option that trains practitioners to work one-on-one in the family home with young children who have autism BI citation graduates are welcome to transfer their credits into the CCS program.

This September will see the start of another unique 15-credit advanced citation - Disability and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) - says Program Coordinator Lori Woods.

"It's a flexible, concise and timely upper-level credential that will provide graduates with comprehensive knowledge and skills in the application of ABA within a disability context. It is the only associate/assistant behaviour analyst program west of Manitoba which has been approved by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and the Teacher Qualification Service," says Woods.

The Disability and ABA courses will be a specialty option for students in the University of Calgary Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation collaborative degree program. The university has a regional campus here at Douglas College. CFCS diploma and Associate Arts graduates earn two full years' block credit toward their degree. Other third and fourth-year bachelor degree students and bachelor degree graduates are also encouraged to apply.

Related Links

Classroom and Community Support Program
Behaviour Interventionist Program
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