Reveling in relaxation as well as spending time with family is important to new special education teacher, Travis Sunseri. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Sunseri is excited to experience the diversity that the Santa Clara Unified School District has to offer.
Despite being hired at SCHS to teach English, Sunseri shares a passion for teaching in many special education programs. His love for teaching special education was inspired by advocating for many student relations.
“Special ed is kind of unique and different in a sense of the people that you’re working with,” Sunseri said. “It’s just more student driven in a sense of building those connections and making sure those students have a quality of life that’s meaningful.”
Along with making connections on campus and the advice he received from his past years in special education at Cupertino High school, Sunseri stresses the importance of starting each day prepared.
“I try to get here early, where I don’t feel rushed or feel stressed. That sets the day off on the right foot rather than trying to rush around,” Sunseri said.
Aside from being present within SCHS, Sunseri looks forward to the future and is excited for any new relationships he may create on campus. Striving for flexibility inside the classroom, Sunseri also supports remaining adaptable throughout life.
“Taking a breath and living in the moment is a big thing that I try to strive for, just taking it slowly and making those days last a little bit longer by slowing down a little bit,” Sunseri said.
From friendly conversations about sports to being a teenage boy, Sunseri described his gratitude for the memories created by his former physical education teacher, Mr. Luscher, pertaining to his identity as a teacher today.
“I don’t know if it was just because we were having a PE class, or if it was just the fact that he was a father figure in my life,” Sunseri said. “He wasn’t just a teacher. I felt like that relationship with him helped also shape who I am now.”
Sunseri strives to make each student feel heard by building meaningful relationships that they will remember for a lifetime.
“Having those connections were strong enough to make me want to pursue being a teacher just so I can build connections with students and have that relationship that I had when I was in high school,” Sunseri said.