Geraldine A. McGuire Honored for 42 Years of Dedication in Special Education
Geraldine A. McGuire, Special Needs Teacher and "Second Mom"

METHUEN, MA, December 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ --Geraldine A. McGuire, Special Needs Teacher for the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in special education.

Demonstrating steadfast commitment, personalized care and an endless amount of patience, Geraldine A. McGuire is honored for her 42 years of professional dedication in the field of special education. Prior to her retirement, Ms. McGuire served as a Special Needs Teacher with the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative. There, she worked with a group of six special needs children at a time, evaluating their academic progress and preparing individual education plans. Her students included those with delayed developments, cerebral palsy and various multiple disabilities.

At North Andover High, Ms. McGuire was lovingly nicknamed "second mom" by her students with moderate special needs. She made it her responsibility to know absolutely everything that they did throughout the day including what accomplishments they had achieved and which mischievous acts they had committed. "I worked to watch them graduate and make something of themselves, which you don't expect to see," she said in an interview with Cambridge Who's Who. "A lot of them went to junior colleges; some transferred to a four-year educational institution. I was there to help them succeed." When dealing with students suffering from more severe disabilities, Ms. McGuire did her best to simply make them smile - sadly, she noted, they would never achieve self sufficiency.

Ms. McGuire recalls one such case in which a blind child who couldn't speak was being self-abusive. As this was one of her first experiences working with severe special education students, Ms. McGuire delved into the world of applied behavior analysis in order to find a way to help him. She eventually settled on "bear" hugs, which would stop him from hurting himself. "After a year and a half, he would give himself a bear hug rather than hit himself," she said.
Each success that her students experienced, Ms. McGuire celebrated as her own. She became their teacher, mentor, friend and "second mom," winning over each child with her enduring patience and caring nature. Additionally, she noted, "I have a sense of humor and I have a willingness to listen to others." Today, Ms. McGuire focuses these attributes as a volunteer with Lawrence General Hospital and the Trauma Intervention Program. She is also a dedicated family member and loves spending time with her granddaughter.

Ms. McGuire holds a master of education in counseling psychology from Cambridge College, a master of science in special education from Simmons College and a bachelor of science in elementary education from Lowell State College. In 2002, she was nominated by the Special Olympics committee for the "Disney Teacher of the Year" award. For more information about the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative, please visit http://www.glec.org.

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Ellen Campbell
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