For the past eight years, Mrs. Brittany Luckie has had the honor and privilege of teaching the “Luckie Few,” a K-6th Self-Contained Special Needs Classroom at Fairhope East Elementary.
“I teach special education because I like to watch my students learn and succeed when others think they can’t,” said Mrs. Luckie. “My students have so much more to offer the world than just a possible disability.”
In high school, Mrs. Luckie volunteered in a special needs classroom. It was then that she realized her calling was to teach Special Education. She attended the University of South Alabama and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Special Education K-12.
“The way special needs children’s brains worked intrigued me,” she shared. “I knew that teaching students with special needs was a privilege and a blessing, and I couldn’t wait to be a part of something bigger.”
Mrs. Luckie’s classroom is unique because she is the only teacher for her students from K-6th grade. She becomes one of the most important individuals in their lives, outside of their caretakers at home. She also has the assistance of two amazing paraprofessionals each year!
Each year, Mrs. Luckie writes a plan for each student to meet them where they are. She teaches her students in small group settings throughout the day based on their specific needs. She stays in constant communication with their parents and holds annual meetings to discuss each child’s specific goals, needs, and successes.
“I recognize the potential in every student, and I have high expectations of them because I know they are capable of reaching big goals,” shared Mrs. Luckie. “I make sure each student gets their lessons taught in a way that engages them and fits their specific needs and skills. I always try to make things fun and enjoyable for them. If they enjoy what they are doing and are constantly reminded how smart they are, they want to work harder!”
This incredible teacher has one desire – that by sixth grade, each of her students leave her classroom knowing they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to. That they are smarter than most people realize and perfect just the way they are.
Mrs. Luckie shares, “There is nothing quite like seeing a child accomplish a goal today that they could not reach yesterday. Every student is a success story. You just need to be willing to be patient and find that success.”
Brittany Luckie and her husband Cory have been married for 10 years. They have two handsome sons – Crosby (8) and Chandler (5). She enjoys reading in her free time, watching her boys play sports and visiting the hunting camp.
