Swank named special education teacher of the year

Columbia Falls teacher Michelle Swank was recently named the teacher of the year by the Montana Council of Exceptional Children.

The award recognizes a teacher “whose work exemplifies the best in special education teaching.”

Swank has been teaching special education at the elementary school level for 14 years. For the last five years she’s been a behavioral coach at the schools.

“My focus is working with staff and parents,” she said. Her work involves coming up with solutions for young students with disabilities — solutions that often help the general population of students as well.

For example, some teachers have taken to playing soft or classical music in their rooms, using different light sources and creating “calm spaces” in their classes.

Light and sound can really be an issue with children on the autistic spectrum, for example. The buzz of fluorescent lights may go unnoticed by many, but can be very disruptive to a sensitive child.

“A lot of my work is with general education teachers,” she said. “(Techniques) are not just beneficial for students with special needs, they’re beneficial for all students.”

In a typical day she said she’s visiting the buildings, working with teachers and is in a lot of team meetings. With the coronavirus crisis, she’s been working online, coaching parents on the best ways to employ some of the methods used at school at home.

“We’re trying to support parents at this time,” she said.

A native of Whitehall, Swank said she decided to pursue a special education career because she has a cousin with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that typically causes delayed development, intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, and problems with movement and balance.

She graduated from MSU Billings. Swank and her husband, Jeff, have two young children, a fifth-grader and a third-grader. Jeff is the project manager for the remodel of Ruder Elementary School.