Special Education Teacher Documents His Positive Teaching Methods with His Students

A special education teacher in Jacksonville Beach, Florida calls upon each of his students and tells them individually, “You’re an amazing student.”

Christopher Ulmer is the founder and teacher behind Special Books by Special Kids—a multimedia project that showcases the artwork, ideas, and creativity of his students. He posts videos on his Facebook page of the interactions he has with his students and refers to all of them as his friends. 

Ulmer uses humor and a positive attitude to teach his students because he has found that that’s how they feel loved and accepted. He posted a video on November 15 of how he starts his mornings with his students—by giving each and every one of them compliments.

“I have seen their confidence and self-worth skyrocket,” Ulmer mentions in the video. “If they have a mean, jaded teacher, they will think the world [is] mean and jaded. But if a teacher displays love, harmony, and peace, that will become their norm.”

Ulmer noticed that his students started complimenting and praising each other in the classroom after he implemented the morning ritual. He noted that they never insult each other; they always help each other out.