Think about all the patience and time you need to have in order to be a special educator. Kids with disabilities sometimes have challenges such as short attention spans, poor retention, eye-hand coordination problems and difficulty following directions. So in school they often need a lot of help so that they don’t feel out of place and have equal educational access. This is when special educators come in handy.

Oakland Mills High School has a lot of special educators, but the newest member to the team is Mr. Gerus. Mr. Gerus originally from Glen Burnie High School County. He attended three different colleges: McDaniel University, Boston University, and the John Hopkins University, where he majored in psychology.

Mr. Gerus favorite part about Oakland Mills High School is that everyone seems like they want to be here. He also loves the energy that the kids give off. Mr. Gerus thinks that the bad reputation Oakland Mills has is completely false because once you get to know OM students, they’re very enjoyable.

Mr. Gerus wanted to be a special educator because his sister was mentally and physically diabled and she died before he could ever meet her. Now he feels like if he can help someone with a disability, he would really like to. Also, Mr. Gerus feels as though being a special educator is the right fit for him. If he wasn’t a special educator, he would like to be a cook. Since he loves food and cooking.

His favorite sports team at Oakland Mills High School is the lacrosse team because he knows some of the coaches and players. Mr. Gerus expects the students at Oakland Mills to  follow the three R’s, which are being responsible, respectful, and ready to learn. One saying that he likes to tell the students at Oakland Mills is “ Did you do the right thing, and did you do the right?”

The hardest part of Mr. Gerus jobs is to work with students with learning, mental, emotional and physical disabilities. Mr. Gerus does all he can to help these children out and make them feel like a part of the school. If you ever need to get in contact with Mr. Gerus or need his help with anything, he is more than happy to help! His desk is near the main hallway in the ALS room. So next time you walk pass the ALS room stop by and say hello to Mr. Gerus!