Chapter 6: Lessons Beyond the Lesson Plan: Kareem Neal’s Story

I have been teaching self-contained special education for 27 years and have a wealth of experiences as a Black male educator (BME) serving students with severe cognitive delays. I currently teach at Maryville High School in the Phoenix Union High School District located in Phoenix, Arizona. I have served as an educator at my current school for 17 of the 27 years of my teaching career. My teaching assignment is a special education teacher for grades 9–12 at a comprehensive high school in a self-contained classroom. My subject areas of instruction include social studies and science.

Two of my most significant accomplishments, in my journey as an educator, are being selected as the 2019 Arizona Teacher of the Year and being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2022. I chose to become an educator because I felt like it was one of the only ways to work closely with people with special needs. Initially, I began my undergraduate college career at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, focused on becoming a chemical engineer. I had only majored in chemical engineering because I did not know what I wanted to become in life and was unsure of my career choice. Various people, including my family, suggested I become a doctor. While I achieved competitive math score on my Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), I knew I did not like blood. Therefore, it seemed that a career as a medical doctor was not aligned with my skill set or desires. People, including family, friends, and counselors, then suggested I become an engineer. I agreed with this career option, as it aligned with my strong math and science skills although this was not what I really wanted to do.