Chris Apuada: 'You can make a difference in a student’s life'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Apuada

Resource Specialist

Marshall Elementary School

“Teaching is a vocation,” Chris Apuada states unequivocally. “If you want to make a difference in somebody’s life you can start with helping our young generation. I love working with kids and I always put kids in the forefront of whatever we do.”

Chris has taught in the field of special education for nearly 20 years, and has been a resource specialist with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District since 2003. Currently he serves students and families at Marshall Elementary School. He was part of the first group of teachers to come to MPUSD from the Philippines, and expresses his gratitude every day to the district for the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience with students.

 

 

Chris serves students with different types of special needs, including children on individualized educational plans (IEPs) or with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or other health impairments. He finds joy in helping them in areas they need support in such as reading, writing, math or even with their work habits or abilities to stay focused and be productive in the classroom.

It is evident he invests a lot of time, love, and effort to the kids he serves. He says, “It’s not going to be easy, but if you are willing and have the passion to work with students, then you can make a difference in a student’s life.” 

“I assure you it is very rewarding to see a student blossom and reach maximum potential. It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve seen,” he says. “You will be the one person that they will remember for the rest of their lives and that again makes the difference.”

Unlike many teachers where the grade level they teach is consistent from year to year, Chris’s grade levels vary. Each year brings different challenges and Chris stresses what is important is to ensure each child is evaluated individually and provided tailor fit interventions.

He builds strong relationships with families, and this is particularly important at Marshall because many of these families are at the school temporarily.

 

“I know they go through a lot of transitions and we want to make sure we provide a quality education regardless of their situation," Chris said.

Chris knows well the value of an education as his mother is a teacher and instilled the value in him. He wants his students to look at their education, value it and ultimately receive a quality education from him.

“It’s been a fulfilling career, especially seeing my older kids graduate or transition out of our special education programs because they were able to gain the foundational skills and knowledge and no longer need an IEP and transition back into general education," Chris said.