What is so special about the beginning of the school year? The beginning of the school year brings change for all of us–from new teachers and new classes, to new friends and connections. For many, it is a fresh start in something entirely new.
Suhad (Sue) Jarrar is a new paraprofessional at Bedford High School. This is her first year at Bedford. Previously, she worked at Bow High School in Bow, New Hampshire, and Pittsfield High School in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. Sue is from a Palestinian family, and was born and raised in Jordan. She moved to the United States when her husband came here for school. She now has four children and has been living in the U.S. for 31 years. Outside of school, Sue enjoys gardening and drawing.
Sue has always wanted to do something related to children and teaching, and majored in child psychology in college while still in Jordan. However, when she and her husband immigrated to the United States, she discovered that she would have to go to school again in order to get a teaching license. She was inspired by her daughter (27), to become a paraprofessional. Her daughter has ADHD, and when Sue saw how hard the paraprofessionals worked to help her daughter learn and understand, she saw the impact that she could make on children. Now, her daughter is living her life successfully with a master’s degree in public health.
Sue said that paraprofessionals are “assistant teachers”; as in, they take what the teacher is teaching the students and help students who need more help understand it. They go to the classroom of whichever student needs them, and take care of “whatever they need”. “It really depends on the student.” she said. She explained that paraprofessionals help everyone in the classroom, but are focused on the student(s) who really need(s) the extra help.
Sue is definitely passionate about the work that she is doing, made easy by her kind and compassionate nature. Surely, being a paraprofessional is a job that does not receive enough recognition. Thank you, Sue, for all that you do at BHS!
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