With the start of the new school year, classroom E101 welcomed a new head teacher, Eliza Filus. She joined Del Val to teach the multiple disabilities class after transferring from Clinton Township Middle School where she was a paraprofessional for three years.
Though she originally studied public health in Kean University, Filus discovered her love for teaching when working as a paraprofessional and decided to go back to school. She is now working towards her master’s degree at Ramapo College.
Filus joined Del Val after seeing the community-based and welcoming environment.
“[Del Val] just kind of caught my eye because it seemed like a small, tight knit school,” Filus said. “Especially as a special ed teacher, the programs they have really foster a lot of independence for the special ed community.”
As she settles into the new school year, Filus wants to transform her classroom into a comforting space for everyone. She has added bright and colorful decorations to the room to contribute to this open area for her students.
“I want it to be a safe space for everyone,” Filus said. “I’m just trying to make it a really welcoming and comfortable environment for students and teachers.”
Coming from teaching in an Applied Behavior Analysis classroom, Filus has brought new perspectives and knowledge which she hopes to use to help the students and staff of E101.
“She’s bringing many new ideas and stuff to the classroom and the kids love her already,” Marirose Albanese, paraprofessional, said. “Sometimes when you teach, you tend to do a lot of same things over and over so when a new person brings things we might’ve not thought about, its awesome.”
Outside of the classroom, Filus coaches Freshman Girls Volleyball and is also the advisor for Unified Sports.
“It’s nice coming here and having the opportunity to be part of these extracurriculars,” Filus said. “I’ve just been doing as much as I can to try and meet new people.”
Looking forward to the rest of the school year, Filus hopes to continue to form relationships and build connections with all her students.
“I like to have strong communication with everyone,” Filus said “I want to share my knowledge with my students and their families and gain from their experiences as well.”
